CHAMP ON PARADE. 375 



road, and drive him by her so that she could get a 

 better view of him when in motion. Then she in- 

 sisted that I should get out and let her drive him. 

 Champ seemed to enjoy it, and I know I did, but 

 when I left him standing loose on the road until I 

 climbed over a fence after a hat full of apples, there 

 was no end to her praises. She afterwards told me, 

 that that drive was the first bright spot in her life, 

 and I believe it. 



"Next day it was all over the village, that Lem 

 had been cut out by his Uncle Si, and do you know 

 it rather pleased me when I heard it. After that, it 

 was almost an every day occurrence for Mary Pickle 

 and I to take a drive. As she had to take work home, 

 I met her frequently. At such times, I picked her up. 

 It was not out of the way, as she lived so near the 

 stable, and I thought nothing of it. Champ also be- 

 came her special pet, and there never was a day 

 when she did not give or send him a piece of sugar or 

 a sweetie. That pleased me as Champ was then the 

 apple of my eye. 



"Lem never mentioned the matter, but from the 

 way he acted he was doing some thinking. That was 

 the long suit of the Jenkins family. Along toward 

 the latter part of October, he drove into the stable, 

 and, after passing the time of day, said he wanted to 

 trade his mare for something with a little more speed 

 and style. I showed him three or four horses, but I 

 could see that they were not what he wanted. Finally 

 he blurted out 'why don't you show me the sorrel 

 horse?' I told him that Champ was not for sale. 

 That did not satisfy him. I could see he wanted him 

 and would pay the price, but I did not want to sell. 



