''Those Who Ride Straight'' 



thing, we saw him in a field beyond riding hard, 

 sitting deep in the saddle and spurring. 



Mrs. Norman stood up in the cart and shrieked. 



"Jimmie, come back!" But her husband 

 pulled her down to the seat again. 



The road was good where we drove and we 

 kept apace. We were galloping past the Archer 

 Farms. 



Trotter rode in plain sight. His head was 

 turned away, and he waved his hand and talked 

 to some one near him. Suddenly the light began 

 to fail. A large black cloud was passing over the 

 moon. It was almost dark. 



Call it what you will, a trick of the shadows, 

 an optical delusion, but whatever it was, there 

 was Alice and the gray mare not a dozen yards 

 beyond, as real as Trotter himself. 



Her fair face was turned toward him, and us, 

 very white, very wonderful in the moonlight. 

 We all saw her clearly. It was just before the 

 fence where she fell. I tried to call, but my 

 throat felt dry and withered and gave forth no 

 sound. 



The next instant it was inky black and the 

 moon entirely gone. 



I felt Mrs. Norman's head on my shoulder, 

 fainting. Norman was hauling at the lines and 

 165 



