The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1920-03-18

evidence of originality, we must con-
fess. and for the space of several min.
utes gave all his attention to his crop
And presently the visitor spoke again
II like your hair, little boy. It's a
pretty red"
That settled the issue between
them. To be hailed as little boy was
bad enough. but to be reminded of his
browning misfortune was adding insult
to injury. He rose and cautiously
approached the fence with the inten-
ton of pinching the impudent strang-
er. suddenly and surreptitiously, and
sending her away weeping. As his
hand crept between the palings on its
wicked mission, the little miss looked
at him in friendly fashion and queried ::
"What's your name?'
Bryce's hand hesitated. Bryce
Cardigan" he answered gruffly.
"Tm Shirley Sumner" she ventured.
Lets be friends"
when did you come to live in
Sequoia?" he demanded.
Il don't live here I'm just visiting
here with my aunt and uncle. We're
staying at the hotel. and there's no.
body to play with. My uncle's name
is Pennington. Sos my aunt's. He's
out here buying timber, and we live
in Michigan"
Her gaze wandered past Bryce to
where his Indian pony stood with her
head out of the window of her box
stall contemplating her master.
''Oh. what dear little horse! !"
Shirley Sumner exclaimed. "Whose
is hep"
"'Tain't a he. It's a she. And
she belongs to me-"
"Do you ride herr"
mot very often now. I'm getting
too heavy for her, so 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 pony?" he asked. for no reason
that he was aware of.
She sighed, shaking her head re-
signedly. 1--WE haven't any room to
keep pony at our house in Detroit"
she explained, and added hopefully:
But I'd love to ride Midget. l 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
it 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 palings, he was
sensible of a sneaking desire to find
favor in her eyes-also equally sensi-
BILE of the fact that the path to that
desirable end lay between himself and
Midget.
"Well, suppose if you want ride
I'll have to give it to YOU" he grun-
hled, although I'm pretty busy this
morning"
ooh 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 sIverpoint
runt of a Klamath Indian pony, and
Moses, a sturdy pinto cayuse from the
cattle ranges over in Trinity county.
'sIll have to ride with you" he an
nounced Cant let a tenderfoot like
YOU go out alone on Midget"
All aflutter With delightful antici-
patton, the young lady climbed up on
the gate and scrambled into the saddle
when Bryce swung the pony broadside
able time did he give that morning
before the call of duty brought him
back to the house and his neglected
crop of carrots. When he suggested
tactfully, however, that IT was now
necessary that his guest and Midget
separate, a difficulty arose. Shirley
Sumner refused point blank to leave
the premises. She liked Bryce for his
h0f Il h.. Lol nd
to her; she was stranger in Sequoia.
and now that she had found an agree
able companion. it was far from her
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. Tully 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 a 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-
saddling the ponies, Shirley drew
Midget's nose down to her and kissed
it. Then she commenced to weep
rather violently.
"What are you crying aboutT'
Bryce demanded. Girls were so hard