The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-09-13
CHAPTER vi.

The appearance of Miss Lucy Nor.
gan the next day, as she sat in
Georges fast cutter. proved so charm.
ing that her escort was stricken 10
soft words instantly and failed to con-
troll a poetic impulse. You look
like" he said. Your face looks
lke-it looks like a snowflake on a
lump Of coal. l mean IA snowflake
that would be n rose-leaf too"
perhaps you'd better look at the
reins." she returned. I'VE almost up
set Just then"
George declined to heed this advice.
Because there's too much pink in
your cheeks for a snowflake" he con-
tinued. whats that fairy story about
snow-white and rose-red-"
"We're going pretty fast, Mr.. Nina
ferg
swell. you see. I'm only here for
two weeks"
II mean the sleigh ~ she explained.
"We're not the only people on the
street, you know"
"Oh. they'll keep out of The way"
that's very patrician charioteeer-
ing. but it seems to me a horse like
this needs guidance. I'm sure he's
going almost twenty miles an hour"
That's nothing" said George; but
he consented to look forward again.
Ill
right" He laughed. II suppose your
father thinks he can build hOrseless
carriage to go that fasti''
They go that fast already, some
times"
"Yes," said George; "they do-for
about hundred feet! Then they give
a yell and burn up"
Evidently she decided not to defend
her fathers faith in horseless car
riages. for she laughed and said moth
ing. The cold air was polka-dOtted
with snOwflakes, and trembled TO the
loud, continuous jingling of sleigh
bells. Boys. and girls. all aglow and
painting jets of vapOr, darted at the
passing sleighs to ride on the runners.
or sought TO rope their sleds to any
vehicle whatever. but the fleetest no
more than just touched the flying cut
Ter. though a hundred sOggy mittens
grasped for it, then reeled and whirled
till sometimes the wearers of those
daring mittens plunged fiat in the
snow and lay a-sprawI, rejecting.
But there came painting and chug-
ging up that fat thorOughfare a thing
which some day was TO spoil all their
sleightime merriment-save for the
rashest and most disobedient 1t was
vaguely like tOpless surrey, but cum
brous with unwholesome excrescences
fore and aft, while underneath were
spinning leather belts and something
that whirred and howled and seemed |
TO stagger. The ride-stealers made no |
attempt to fasten their sleds to q con-
trivance so nonsensical and yet so |
fearsome. Instead they gave over their |
sport and concentrated all their ener- |
gies In their lungs, so that up and |
down the street the one cry shrilled |
increasingly: "Git boss! Git a boss
Git boss! Mister. why don't you git
hoss? But the mahout in charge,
sitting solitary on the front seat, was
unconcerned-he laughed, and now
and then ducked a SNOWFALL without
losing any of his good-nature. 1t was
AIR. Eugene Morgan who exhibited so
cheerful a countenance between the
forward visor of a deer-stalker cap
and the collar of fuzzy gray ulster.
Git hOss!" the children shrieked.
and gruffer voices Joined them. Cit
a boss I! Git a boss! Git boss :"
George Minafer was correct thus
iar; the twelve miles an hour of such
machine would never overtake
georges trOtter. The cutter was al
ready scurrying between the stone pill
iars az the entrance to Anderson adj
dition.
mats my grandfather's," said
ueorge, nodding toward the Anderson
mansion.
l ought to know thatl" Lucy ex-
.iaimed. We stayed there late enough
ias' night: papa and l were almost
uhe last to 90. He and your mother
a"u Miss Fanny Minafer got the mu-
Seians to play another waltz when
e'eryoody else had gone downstairs
anu the tddles were being put away |
:. ue'r cases. Papa danced part of
u with Miss NIinafer and the rest with
souf mother. Miss Minafer's YOUR
aunt, isn't She?"
Yes; she lives with US. That's our
nouSe Just beyond craudfather'S." He
waved Sealskin gauntlet &c Indicate
she house Major Anderson had built
~ isabel as wedding gift. He
..o"heu as they passed a closed car
use ana pair. The body OF this CON-
~ S,oaOie vehicle Sagged slightly to one
me paint was old and scanned !
~ hundreds of minute cracks like
ie rivers ON a black map: the
so'chfnan, Il fat and elderly darky.
:. ssenieu to browse upon the box. bur l
Ae open window afforded the occu.
OF the cutter Il glimpse of a
:. me old face. silk hat. a pearl {
1e ana an astrachan collar. evidently {
WI to take the air. .