The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-11-20
I)avy
By ELEANOR MARSH

con Carpenter, who owned fine farm
on the Hilton road. was noted for her
ability to bring to his knees any young
man upon whom she chose to apply
her powers of fascination. Mandy
claimed that she did not exercise any
such powers. but this must be taken
with grain of salt. for 1t is the most
natural thing In the world for any one
possessing gift to exercise It.
There is certainly no doubt that she
made an offensive campaign against
Josh Miller Josh was the only mai
In the county who refused to bend iii,
knee to Mandy, and 1t was his reJ
lion against her authority as universal
conqueress that spurred her on to con.
quer him. Josh was distinctly mans
man and would have nothing to do
with girls. During the day he attend
ed to his farm duties, and in the even
ing he studied, for Josh was ambitious
to make something of himself more ex-
allied than an ordinary farm hand
And it is likely that this was an addi
tional inducement for Mandy to bring
him down.
Josh first saw the enemy approach
when he was blowing Mandy, tricked
out in her finest finery. came flutter-
Ing across the fields. the colors of her
garments lighted by the morning sun
and resembling the star spangled ban
ner. She was carrying a tin pail and
chA ash oh
said:
Il kind o thought. MIR. Miller. that
you must be thirsty drivin' the pillow
all the mornin', and just drew some
cider and have brought it to you
much obleeged, Miss Carpenter. and
I'm sorry you've had so much trouble
for nothin'. never drink cider 1t
doesn't set we'll on my stomick."
"Oh. you don'tw looking very disap-
pointed. IN leave 1t here under this
tree, and maybe you'll change your
mind later on. wonder If could set
on that seat without fallin' Off"
mo; you couldn't. Besides, I'm set.
tin there myself, and there amt room
for two"
I'm pinin' for ride this morning,
and think you might drive the horses
on foot long enough for me to get one.
Id like mighty well to sit on the plow
seat till you've been down one furrow
and back the other"
Josh was moved to say that he had
no time to give girl ride on the
pillow, but 1t was simply question be-
tween them whether he would drive
the plow on foot and let Mandy ride
or be mean enough to refuse her
Since there was nothing mean about
him he got down and helped Mandy
up on to the seat, which was made of
iron and quite spacious.
Since Josh had the reins there was
nothing by which Mandy could bal,
ance herself, so she clutched the sides
Of the seat with her hands. She was
In danger of falling, and Josh, walk
Ing close beside her, held the .reins In
one hand and supported her with the
other. In order to hold her in place
he was obliged to put his arm around
her waist. In this way they proceed
ed until they had reached the turn.
II don't see," said Mandy, "any rea-
son why you can't sit up on the seat
| yourself. There's room enough for
two. We're neither Of us big, and
you could hold me on better than
walkin' on the ground"
mo, l couldn't" replied Josh How
could I hold you on? If got up there
I'd have to drive with both hands,"
II could hold on to you"
by this time the enlightenment Of her
waist had-moved Josh to view a posi-
tion beside Mandy with pleasant an
ticipation. She moved aside, and he
| got up on to the seat. 1t was utterly
impossible for them to sit there with
out one Of them clinging to the other.
Mandy did the clinging, while Josh
planted his feet so as to brace himself
| and drove with both hands.
When the horses had pulled them up
one length and back another Mandy
said she'd had enough Of that sort Of
riding and, thanking Josh, was about
to leave him when he said that he
thought he could stand drink of the
! cider, after all.
They went together to the tree under
which Mandy had placed the pail, and
Josh dipped up cupful of cider, which
he handed to her She drank little
Of 1t and handed It back to him. He
drank the balance, taking care to do
so from that part Of the cup her red
| lips had touched. Then he said he
thought he would rest spell and sat
down on the grass. Mandy sat down
beside him.
The rest of 1t was very easy. Josh's
arm itched to encircle Mandy's waist,
and, having been there once, there was
no Ice to break to put II there again
| Josh, however, made two or three
movements toward placing 1t there be-
fore he found the courage to complete
the enlightenment.
When 1t was learned that Mandy
Carpenter had brought down Joshua
Miller wag gave her the nickname
/ Of Davy. When asked why he did so
he replied that when the famous hunt
er Davy Crockett had told a coon to
come down from a tree the coon had
replied, well, If you're Davy Crockett
/ reckon I'll come down." which meant
that no coon could stand against