Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-03-30

lain Ie. II = sue. Anu
She Belongs 20 me"
"po You ride herr"
Not very often lOw. I'm getting
too heavy for her, 50 Dads bought me
horse that weighs nine hundred
pounds. Midget only weighs five
hundred" He considered her a mo-
ment while she gaZed In awe upon
this man with TWO horses Can you
ride a pony" he asked, for no reason
that he was aware Of.
She sighed, shaking her head re-
signedly. we haven't any room to
keep a pony ut our house in Detroit"
she explained, and added hopefully {:
But I'd love to ride Midget. sup
pose l could learn to ride If somebody
taught me how"
He looked at her again. At that
period Of his life he was inclined to
regard girls as necessary evil. For
some immutable reason they existed,
and perforce must be borne with. and
II was his hope that he would get
through life and see as little as posi-
BILE of the exasperating sex. Never
theless. as Bryce surveyed this win
some miss through the paings. he was
sensible Of n sneaking desire to find
favor in her eyes-alSo equally sensl-
BILE Of the fact that the path to that
desirable end lay between himself and
! Midget
"Well, suppose If you want ride
| III have to give it to you" he grum-
] bed. although I'm pretty busy this
/ morning"
"Oh. think you're so NICE" she de-
! clared.
| A thrill shot through him that was
akin to pain; with difficulty did he
restrain an impulse to dash wildly
into the stable and saddle Midget in
| furious haste. Instead he walked to
the barn slowly and with extreme
dignity. When he reappeared. he was
leading Midget, little silverpon,
runt of Klamath Indian pony, and
Moses. sturdy pinto cayuse from tn,
cattle ranges over in Trinity county
! u lli'Nf w tluC Win yOu, uC al
J nouncch Cant let a tenderfOOt like
! You 90 ont alone on Midget"
All ni'utter with delightful anticl
! patton. the young lady climbed up OF
the gate and scrambled into the saddle
when Bryce swung the pony broad>d'
to the gate. Two hours of his valua
able time did he give that mOrnin.
before the call of duty brought hin
back to the house and his neglected
crop of carrots. When he suggested
| tactfully. however, that 1t was now
necessary that his guest and Midge
separate. difficulty arose. Shirley
Sumner refused point blank to leave
the premises. She liked Bryce for his
hair and because he had been so kint
to her; she was a stranger in SeQuOia
and now that she had found an agree
able companion, 1t was far from hei
intention to desert him.
So Miss Sumner, stayed and helped
Bryce weed his carrots, and since as
voluntary labOrer she was at least
worth her board. at noon Bryce
brought her in to Mrs. FULLY with a
request for luncheon. When he went
to the mill to carry In the kindling
for the cook. the young lady returned
rather sOrrOwfully to the Hotel
| SeQuOia, with fervent promise to see
him the next day. She did, and Bryce
took her for long ride up into the
Valley Of the Giants and showed her
his mothers grave. They put some
flowers on the grave, and when they
returned to town and Bryce was un.
sadd!ing the ponies. Shirley drew
| Midget's nose down to her and kissed
| 1t. Then she commenced to weep
| rather violently.
| "What are you crying abOutY'
Bryce demanded. Girls We're so hard
/ to understand.
"Tm gO-going h-h-h-home tomorrow"
she howled.
He was stricken with dismay and
babe her desist from her vain repin-
ings. But her heart was broken, and
sOmehOw-Bryce appeared to act auto
matically-he had his arm around
her. Don't cry, Shirley" he pleaded.
at breaks my heart to see you cry.
Do you want Midget? III give her to
YOU"
Between sObs Shirley confessed that
, the prospect of parting with him and
not Midget was provocative of her
woe. This staggered Bryce and pleas
ed him Immensely. And at parting
she kissed him goodbye, reiterating
her opinion that he was the incest,
kindest boy she had ever met or hoped
to meet.
When Shirley and her uncle and
aunt boarded the steamer for San
Francisco. Bryce stood dsconsolate
on the dock and waved to Shirley
until he could no longer discern her
on the deck. He thought of his elf1n
companion very frequently for week,
and he lost his appetite, very much to
Mrs. Tully's concern. Then the
Stnalkaa1 tcn 70 H., ~