Show wu TUB STORY THUS farl lark shannon non li is when she ih learns that ter ber horse bone maddes Is 1 to be sold tier her lather father it hector ector shannon Stia naon had bad died recently leaving the place in debt bethel north near nea neighbor to ur the Bh annoni held belli abote a notel against rector shannon anil and the th sale ale of 0 the I 1 i he hone be the said would cles clear r th he a note david north Be bethell son on ana nd larks arks childhood sweetheart ar r ives in engla ebend 4 from america a ana d asks lark if she he uke like to go 0 o to america a 1 hll his wife but expresses no love for or 1 ber 11 merely spying laying lie ht to li lond fond tl of her ht jar janen gero Be bethel husband drives lark to the dock and the she boards it tie ship tempora eap exp expecting acting david to join her hei lat lath k receives a note saying he ha had bad sailed CHAPTER IV in those last hurried days of preparation 11 at home had bad said so lo 0 often you feel strange with the b boy oy now lark but by the end ol of the trip have grown close alosa to one another therell ell be moonlight on the voyage and long sunny days together davids got a wise head on his shoulders its a good plan that one he talked of to have the captain marry you toward the end of the crossing its it better than rushing the marriage now grow more close together and more understanding der this way and be a tweeter sweeter sounder thing like cro crossing ising a brook from steppingstone stepping stone to step ng ping stone instead of in a leap presently a little cabin boy came out ot of the door which led to the galley and blew what was evidently a repetition of the mess call for larks special benefit and for that of the young couple who stood together on an the forward deck the couple went below and after a moment lark followed them when she reached the dining room the two who had entered just ahead of her were seating themselves with the tha ships officers and other first class passengers at the main table under the portrait of king george the third the tha gentlemen at the mairi main table rose courteously to accept the apologies which the two young people made for their tardiness in the confusion lark hesitated for a moment in the doorway her eyes making quick note of the group at the table of honor there was a florid middle aged man obviously the lather father of the tha girl a youngish man in clerical black with a listless looking wife beside him a comfortable british couple two little old ladles ladies and a foppish little man in blue broadcloth who stared ut her with admiring patronage until the captala Cap sald stiffly pray be seated mr dawes bli big dan spoke loudly to his bis companions pan ions an uncommon good look er that last wench I 1 seen her by her lonesome on deck most the night ight now it I 1 have no 6 strings tied to me he winked in minnies direction as lark blushed with embarrassment and captain walesby rapped sharply tor for silence aint my dan a caution now minnie laughed and grinned with appreciation of the blond giants wit with great gusto she swabbed her plate clean with a crust and forked a hunk of pork onto it minnie having gobbled up her meat by now looked around tor for the platter but the steward had passed it to the mens table to be emptied with a philosophical shrug she reached reach ed over and forked an unfinished piece off one of her girls plates im buying it often offen you she said casually and flipped a farthing across the table the coin rolled on the floor and the girl dived for it as the others laughed only lark amused maybe she wanted the meat herself herlett she said impulsively ashes hardly eaten a bite dont take as much to nourish her as me minnies tone was completely composed 1 I need more victuals than most folks to keep my weight up bein a circus fat ladys a lob job like aay any other that tollgate I 1 run dont do moren bring in pin money I 1 got my sets ets an use lern em when I 1 want to very deliberately libera tely she leaned across the ta his ble and speared the uneaten pork off larks own plate w larks temper flared suddenly no you dentt mine and I 1 mean to eat it quickly she forked the meat back and began cutting it UP minnie threw back her head and laughed delightedly spirit and plenty lenty of the fillys not broke to aarness yet weve got mistress among us girls the duchess of horse ill be bound aint that a belly laugh now she pushed back her chair rose and it lapped lark on the back with genial familiarity outside the saloon doorway a little litile nan man stood waiting lark saw at once once that it was wag the groom who had been in charge of the horses last night she smiled at him my names busby miss he be M said laid humbly and ive been hoping aw W tor for the chance of a word with you I 1 wanted to thank you again its due to you that we got our big stallion safely aboard hes a handful and no mistake he chuckled proudly 1 I love horses lark said ive handled them all my life theres no mischief in that beast it was just that he was panicked he let me eat catch hi his 3 halter strap right at one once ap tt plain that hes a very an horse what are his blood lines ive not had i a look at his papers yet busby stood twirling his cap in his gnarled hands master jarrod Terr terrains alne just bought him from mr Gal dalphine phine yesterday his rightful names lancer but ive took a notion to call him red Ra baskall like you did A pot pet names good luck in racing stables you know lark said fine busby hes a horse tobe to be proud of mistress dana tha ma ro asters s daughter took a rare fancy to him at t the fair yesterday and egged her pa into the deal he looks much lik like e a horse my father ther owned lark lar k commented our madoe madoc had spanker blood in him and this horse has much the same conformation this Ras kalls the prize of the string my folks are taking back to virginia busby said a grand racing stable there great ways I 1 understand its name is EA V pip I 1 this Ras kalls the prize of the string would you like to have a glimpse of the way ive got our beasts bedded down he asked shyly lark nodded and followed ol loved busby down the long twisting passage that led at last to a steep ladder which descended to the hold here the stalls had been set up slatted overhead and with neat divis divisions loris of braided netting to separate the beasts the other groom a moroccan was watering the gray martindale and the roan yearling which lark had noticed last night these two busby explained belonged to mr Pla dawes by midday mid day dinner minnie seemed in high good humor she joked with big dan at the adjoining table and ignored captain Wales bys reproving glances she even made an hunsuc attempt to bring lark into the general badinage cheer up delta clella whispered ashes just teasing you smile barkl lark tried bard as she could but she felt like a fish out of water she was feeling blue and dispirited over davids seemingly casual desertion of her she missed jaggers and the friendly everyday chatter of the neighbors about the parish doings it was a relief when the meal finally over mr Sw alters a approached p pro ached her confidently and asked if she would care to promenade the deck with him he was a pleasant friendly young man lark thought and her usual good spirits soon returned as she listened to his gossip ot of shipboard ship board life minnies crossed with us before he told her every no now and then she comes over for the irish fair circuit and takes back a group of bound girls with her to add to her earnings ashes a great tease but her hearts as aa big as her body 1 I 1 dont believe bellev ft fit lark remonstrated st why I 1 think ashes dreadful outrageously common and vulgar garl most circus people are clink said knowingly youve lived a very sheltered life I 1 imagine miss shannon im worried about what youre going to do if you land before mr north does minnie told me she thought hed sailed on the Bunny meade but a slower ship than ours please dont think me curious or impertinent 1 I think its kind of you to take an interest ive the address of a friend of mr norths shell let me teach at her school though im not very well educated you see my only real talent Is tor for riding perhaps I 1 could be a jockey CW clink laughed politely looking a little shocked youre a plucky girl he be said nets a good joke by jove I 1 lark smiled at him 1 I feel much better than I 1 did youve cheered me up a lot im glad of that most awfully glad we must walk together when ever I 1 can get away from my duties your friend who put you aboard mr jaggers north was that his name asked me to keep an eye out lor for you you know what a nice young man he was lark thought of 0 course lie he had none of davids charm or good looks but having someone like him take an interest would help quite a lot one day the third sunday ot of the voyage captain walesby announced at breakfast that he would conduct hurch church services ices on deck there was great confusion in the wor saloon a as all the girls unpacked th their air sabbath finery lark dug down deep into her portmanteau searching toi for h her er good blue bombazine dress she find it it just there it was immediately after the service that busby waylaid lark lie he had a worried and anxious look 00 about him 1 I dont me like to trouble you miss he said soberly but the horse is ii sick really sick it aint just colic like the master says ive changed chanad the blanket over and over again a and r 1 d its sweated through in no time I 1 ita V 8 lung inflammation and a tact fact miss its serious ive seen it often enough afore to know that lancers sick lark asked sharply oh no not my red rat ras kaul no maam it aint lancer its iti our mare penelope squire terraine Terr alna alne and me have been over her the livelong live long night maybe come down to the stalls with me and give me a word of advice say what do it if it was your 0 own w n madoc youve spoke of so often ofte n 1 indeed I 1 will lark said with warm sympathy and following the groom past the neat little temporary tac kroom and the dark cornered enclosure where the bales of hay bay were wera stacked shoulder high minnie standing back in the shadow grinned at them and said seen my dan anywhere busby shook his head and led lark through the wicket into the tha fenced off stall where the mare man stood sweat drenched and bloody lark laid a gentle hand on the drooping neck poor penelope she said softly ashes as sick a horse as ever ive seen shell have to be bled wont she indeed she will young lady PIa Pla dawes had bad entered the stall and stood there behind lark with his shrewd little eyes fixed on her she frowned a little and said anxiously cant we do something does the squire know how sick i a mare hes got jarrod terrains Terr Ter alnes raines a nincompoop mr dawes said with asperity hes trying to keep up the pretense that his beast has nought the matter with it but colic when the fact that its lung fever is clear as light ive known terraine ne boy and man tor for forty years and hes hei never yet acknowledged himself wrong take this bet of ours now fifty pounds on our imported stallions why this thunder boy ol of mine hes a wonder horse 1 our baskall will beat him mr dawes busby interrupted with surprising spirit give me a couple ol of weeks to work him out when we w land and all ail I 1 ask pooh you overestimate your PIa Pla who at another time would have scorned to enter into discussion with a groom was now feeling expansive and talkative under the stimulus of his bli neighbors bad luck Tatter stands behind m my 7 gray martindale and your horse is ii only a pickup pick up at a county fair it surprise me a mite if hla his bloodline blood line papers were forged why id raise my bet to a hundred pounds to five hundred id bet my whole plantation even horses my y slaves and the thoroughbred horses in my racing sta stable ble you would would you sir big lumbering jarrod had come in quietly i y tiptoeing as if he were in a sickroom r well I 1 take you up on any such bet id wager my lands and even my house on this race between lancer and thunder boy but id no more bet my slaves and horses than id bet my daughter dana live flesh sint aint a right ful thing to gamble with against the ten commandments like bowing down to graven images or some soma such ill bet Great ways by capricorn but neither my horses nor negroes against yo your ur dawes ferr ferry Y your pl acell make a nice enough house tor for my overseer barnes bames or one of the tenants you cant bluel me sirl want to have it writ d down own lawyer wise 1 I never bluff PIa Pla said haughtily such a thing would ba b beneath my dignity and gentlemen gent lemeni 1 I sporting wagers are never reduced to writing my word sir air Is sufficient PIa Pla turned abruptly and left them jarrod threw back his head and bawled with laughter well young lady I 1 guess you heard me call that little popinjays jays bluff you he eyed lark with great friendliness as it if she shared the joke and entered into his game when she smiled at him with amusement he h continued ill bet a golden guinea youre the young miss my grooms been babbling so BO much about he says youre a first class horsewoman yourself and that spite of the fact that youre a parsons daughter you know all the fine points of the turf TO BE BB CONTINUED I 1 |