Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-09

He couldn't help himself. A CIR
saw most of it-some sort of relation
| of his, / guess. She come into towr
with me and went to see the chief
of police, to tell him how it happened
and save me from a pinch"
What sort o. looking girl?"
About my size and age. Wears
Must be Lettie Appleton. old
Jake's stepdaughter He hates the
sight of her, I've heard. What be
come o. the wop7"
II DUNNO. But I couldn't stand
and watch this poor plug get it's head
stove in. Say. is lowering rich? And
what made him dippy?"
He swiped an invention from a
guy named Prescott. Cleaned up a
million. Prescott shot himself. Lev.
ering come back here and built him
self that place on the HILL"
shes his step-daughter, you said?''
"Bullied his first wife, lowering
did, till she was glad to die, some
said. Married a second, younger
him, who already had this daughter
Lettie. Got herself killed in a wreck
and left lowering stuck with the girl.
Uses her pretty nasty, like all his
women folk" Uncle Joe stopped.
The girl herself was coming into the
yard.
Il told Chief Hogan everything,
she announced. "How's the horse
now?"
That's just what got to find out"
said Barnaby.
THROUGH the ensuing hour, Uncle
Joe Fodder was merely a specta-
tor. But he was content to be merely
a spectator. For he saw more than
an equine hat rack salvaged. He saw
color begin to come and go on the
Appleton girls face, as she watched
the eX-jockey treat the beasts sores
and get him into stall. Wade COM
menced grooming him as the blowzy
old camel had not been groomed in
years.
mfr. Fodder, this horse has got
points," he contended. Come In here
and look"
Il saw that right off," Uncle Joe
agreed. Fore feet look sound. Got
first-class head. But he amt got
much wind"
1T may be only starvation"
Sorry. Don't think So. I'm afraid
his winds broke"
The girl cried in alarm. 1T isn't
anything he's got to be killed for, Is
it-broken wind?"
mo. no." laughed the hostler.
AN then, O. course, he may not be
as bad off as he looks
There were tears in the girls eyes.
I'm crazy about horses" she told
the two huskily. My daddy Wa; a
horseman. 1 can't stand to see them
abused. 1 guess it's in my blood"
This horse amt gonna be abused
any more, if / can help it, Barney
vowed.
/. But you don't own him, son."
warned Fodder. Sooner or later that
wop'll come lookin' for him"
There was anxiety in the girls
voice as she turned and cried. How
much do You think he is WORTH"
twenty-five dollars would be
fifteen dollars too much"
I've got twenty-five dollars. I've
got hundred" She grasped Wade's
elbow. You wait here. I'll go back
to the house and get it. If that
Italian shows up, we'll buy him
together"
Lettie Appleton was back with
some bank notes. The Italian came
with her. She had picked him up,
and brought him in, so that Uncle
Joe and Barnaby might do the trad
ing. Thirty-six dollars they finally
agreed on.
Then boy and girl worked over the
horse till long after 10 o'clock.
Il got a hunch this horse has been
a racer in his day" said Wade. But
If his winds bad, like Fodder says,
he's off the track for keeps. Besides,
he's pretty Old
Il think he's beautiful" the girl de-
clared.
And before she left she went into
the stall where the lucky animal
dozed, and clasped her arms around
his neck. Fodder told us about it
in the newspaper Office next day.
Struck me she acted heartsick for
something to love. Guess there amt
been much love wasted on her out to
Levering's place"
"A woman could do lots worse
things than love horse" remarked
Sam Hold, the editor.
Il ~
A ND so, introduced by a hapless
4 horse, drawn closer together
each day as they gradually brought
the beast back, boy and girl began
to love each other-as pretty and
poignant a little affair as our COM
munity ever witnessed.
Then suddenly, before the village
was really aware Of the depth of
their attachment. Paris came down
to its business one morning to dis
cover that they had married!
An extra harsh bit of bullying on
the stepfather's part had been re-
sponsible. He had heard Of his
foster daughters interest in horses
and in Wade: and the truth Of the
matter was that the retired capitalist,
with nothing but his country place
and memories to occupy his mind,
was slowly losing it.
We've decided to rent the old
Pumpton place." Barney announced
that stepfather of hers-she doesn't
want anything more to do with him
| whatever"
THE Pumpton place. cried Uncle
Joe. Mine miles out in that hollow"
We'll, we can get It for nothing
If we pillow over the mowings and
let Jane Pumpton have the new hay"
But how the two of you ever
gonna support yourselves out there?
There amt another house within Ave
or six miles"
There's a good sugar orchard on
it. And all kinds Of land for garden.
And there's three big hen-houses, too.
We might make money with
chickens"
Got the cash to stock it?'
I'VE got enough for a table, some
chairs, and bed. And there's lots
Of old stuff we found in the attic.
! But you two kids can't live way
off there
We'll, we got Black Bullet to 60
back and forth with--if / could only
buy one Of those old buggies and some
harness from you, on time
/ BLACK Bullet! Is that what you
call your plug?"
Yeah. Lettie and Black Bullet
and will get along fine; / have beer
[ l. kitAcr md