The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-11

? I've a luncheon engagement frankly told her so. And it was a wonderful day to be riding, and the wind made her cheeks glow and her eyes sparkle, and Sandy was undeniably a handsome sort Of per son. She laughed, and uncon- sciously settled down little near CT to him.
 Half an hours drive got them out of the city. They followed a graveled country road for a few miles, and at last came to a huge, white washed barn, so big that it completely overshadoWed the little cottage in front of it. Along the side of the barn there was big sign, The West Park Riding Acad- emy."
 Sandy drove in, and few min- utes later a groom had brought their horses and they were riding side by side down leafy lane which led them, at last, to the top of a rounded hill, from which they could look down long, grass grown slope toward little stream and clump of woods.
 Sandy had been watching her with a knowing eye, and he evil dently had satisfied himself that she was quite at home in the sad dle.
 Come on," he cried, Race you to the Woods!"
 And they went off down the slope, the horses hoofs drumming on the springy turf, while the wind whip ped the ends of the scarf Jean had bound about her hair, and she laughed aloud from sheer happi- ness and excitement. They came nearer and nearer to the little stream; at this point it was no more than brook, not six feet wide, with firm banks. Jean boldly spurred directly toward it and took her horse across 1t in one graceful leap. Then she refined in, and came to halt at the edge of the woods.
 Sandy was. beside her, looking at | her admirlngly.
 Say" he said. you can ride, all right"
 She was breathless, laughing, with little Wisps of hair escaping from under the scarf.
 q used to ride almost every day, down home" she said.
 Good girl" said Sandy. You did that jump like a champion"
 Their eyes met in comradely ap- praisal; then, with one accord, they turned their horses heads and fol- lowed a shaded lane through the trees.
 It was cool under the trees, and the horses hoofs made no sound on the black spongy earth. Sandy rose with effortless ease, his long body relaxed loosely in the saddle. You must have ridden a lot yourself" said Jean. He nodded.
 T was brought up on horse" he said. Not here. Out west"
 "Cowboy?"
 My folks owned ranch" He of red her & pack of cigarets. She shook her head, he lighted one, and went on:
 How about yourself? Where do you come from, anyhoW?"
 "Maplehurst. It's little town about hundred miles south of here"
 Did you live on farm?" he asked casually
 "Ol, no My daddy's banker. But l always had horse, and the towns 50 small you can get outside of 1t in five minutes"
 They rode on farther in silence. Presently Jean asked him, What do you do, anyway"
 He looked at her coolly, Tor a moment, and then grinned.
 "Oh," he said, T just sort of travel around, from here to there and back"
 Lucky" said Jean. Tt must be nice, not to-not to be tied down."
 Tt is" said Sandy.
 IhCy came out of the woods into an unpavcd country road. It led them in a gently undulating course past the woodland along the edge of prosperous looking farm and around q bend to an ancient Wood- cn bridge over a small river. They let the horses have their heads, and the animals turned off along a little path and went down to the waters edge to drink. Sandy looked upstream.
 Look" he said. The ground comes shelving down to the water, like, for a couple ot miles up there. l We can ride up that way and come out right nea' the stables. Okay?"
 She nodded, and they started up the river, the horses stepping slow ly along the flat stretch of sand and gravel. Jean threw her head back and looked up. Trees fringed the river, framing a strip of clear blue sky. Their leaves rustled gently in the wind. I'm glad I came" Jef1 thought.
 They talked lazily as they rode. Sandy seemed strange combina- tion of frankness and reticence. He spoke of life on the western plains, of gong hunting in the Osage hills, of nights under the stars in far-off camps. but he seemed to be reluc- tan to say much about the pres ent, or about his reasons for leav- ing that opel western country
 You must want to get back tn ,re," said Jean. He loked at her soberIy, and when he grinned, at last, there was something wistful in, h.; eyes. Yeah. guess maybe l do." he said. Reckon will, too, some day."
 They left the river and came out in broad posture lot. Beyond the