Evening star., 1938-12-04

theirs Often said to myself: Staunton, there's
girl could ride if she'd put her mind to it.
Il can put my mind to it easily. she sighed,
but my mind doesn't have to sit on the
saddle
And often said to myself, there's girl a
mand be proud to take around to parties and
things
You'll never get anywhere saying those
things to yourself. Jeb. Try saying them aloud.
To me-
His face turned the color of an old saddle
under his tan. and he mumbled, Hunt Ball in
few weeks. Have to show up for it. You know.
MFH putting in an appearance and all that.
Like you to go with me. Maybe do point-to-
point around the floor
IN bet,'' she murmured, you'll wear
spurs
He grinned suddenly mot with you. Need
curb rein, if anything"
Its meet" she said, putting out small
brown hand.
"You have nice hands, he blurted. Then. as
if afraid of being misinterpreted, he added, Il
mean on the rens.
She complained: Next you'll be pulling
down a corner of my mouth, squirting at my
teeth and saying I'm rising twenty-five"
He looked at her lips. For suffocating
moment she thought he was going to. but
just then George came down from the tree and
rubbed affectionately against Soldier Boys legs.
Soldier Boy exploded in the air, executing a
twist from north to south. Jeb hit the ground
as if chair had been pulled out from under
meath him. Valerie scrambled down to aid him,
dropping reins and aniseed bag.
THAT George" she mourned.
Jeb looked at the animal. George was walk
ing toward the aniseed bag. He picked it up
with an air of ownership and dragged it oil
toward the Trent house. Jeb scowled He hob
bIed to Pompey and ran hand under the edge
of his saddle. Pompey's hair was family damp,
not sweaty as it should have been. Cat must
be making habit of carrying that home" he
growed You didn't ride any ten miles today
Il. -. didn't mean to cheat, she babbled
Il just wanted you to notice me- You were so
wrapped up in your old horses
Next time try whinnying at me. - He whis-
tied to Soldier Boy, mounted and spurred away.
Valerie was accustomed to expecting various
aches after hunt meet but this time she ached
where pillows didn't do any good. 1t wasn't fair,
she decided Millions of women had won hus-
bands without having to chase them over all the
fve-foot jumps in the county. Jeb shouldn't
demand wife who would promise to cleave for
better or for worse, to the back of a horse.
but of course he did He was the sort of man
who wouldn't have noticed Lady Godiva unless
she were riding in the Grand Nationally
George seemed to have given up the entire
business During the next few days he lounged
around on the floor looking very wise and
ferocious, like tigerskin rug with mounted
head He moved only to visit the kitchen, where
he had learned how to open the refrigerator by
swinging on the handles.
Into this atmosphere of gloom and defeatisn,
came the biggest news in the last quarter
century of the Wayne County Hunt Club. 1t
was rumored that fox an authentic, rust
colored fox had been seen in the county. 1t
was glorious rumor.
Valerie didn't see anything glorious about it.
She knew that the rumor would be proved true,
that the Hunt would arrange special meet
and that she would have to 60 humping over
fields to try to appease Jeb.
She was right.
On the morning of the special meet nearly
every member of the Hunt showed up. AT last
thev were going to do things in proper British