#DI  ,MY ,LA/ ,HOME

  ,"O "D DUR+ ? SUMM] ! GROOM CL1N$ &
DRESS$ ME ) S* EXTRAORD9>Y C>E T ,I ?"\
"S NEW *ANGE M/ 2 AT H&2 HE TRIMM$ MY
FETLOCKS & LEGS1 PASS$ ! T>BRU% OV] MY
HO(S1 & EV5 "P$ MY =ELOCK4 ,I ?9K ! H>;S
_H AN EXTRA POLI%4 ,WILLIE SEEM$ HALF-
ANXI\S1 HALF-M]RY1 Z HE GOT 96! *AISE )
8 GR&"F4
  8,IF ! LADIES TAKE 6HM10 SD ! OLD
G5TLEMAN1 8!Y'LL 2 SUIT$ & HE'LL 2
SUIT$4 ,WE C B TRY40
  ,AT ! 4T.E (A MILE OR TWO F ! VILLAGE
WE CAME 6A PRETTY1 L[ H\SE1 )A LAWN &
%RU2]Y AT ! FRONT &A DRIVE UP 6! DOOR4
,WILLIE RANG ! BELL1 & ASK$ IF ,MISS
,BLOMEFIELD OR ,MISS ,ELL5 0 AT HOME4
,YES1 !Y W]E4 ,S1 :ILE ,WILLIE /AY$ )
ME1 ,MR4 ,?OR\<GOOD W5T 96! H\SE4 ,9 AB
T5 M9UTES HE RETURN$1 FOLL[$ 0?REE
LADIES2 "O TALL1 PALE LADY1 WRAPP$ 9 A
:ITE %AWL1 L1N$ ON A "Y] LADY1 ) D>K
EYES &A M]RY FACE2 ! O!R1 A V /ATELY-
LOOK+ P]SON1 0 ,MISS ,BLOMEFIELD4 ,!Y
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ALL CAME & LOOK$ AT ME & ASK$ "QS4 ,!
"Y] LADY -- T 0 ,MISS ,ELL5 -- TOOK 6ME
V M*2 %E SD %E 0 SURE %E %D L ME1 ,I _H
S* A GD FACE4 ,! TALL1 PALE LADY SD T %E
%D ALW 2 N]V\S 9 RID+ 2H A HORSE T _H
ONCE BE5 D[N1 Z ,I MI<T -E D[N AG1 & IF
,I DID %E %D N"E GET OV] ! F"R4
  8,Y SEE1 LADIES10 SD ,MR4 ,?OR\<GOOD1
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"? ! C>E.S;S ( _! DRIV]S )\T ANY FAULT (
_! [N1 & F :AT ,I SEE ( ? HORSE ,I %D
SAY T IS 8 CASE2 B ( C\RSE ,I D N WI%
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( HM40
  8,Y H ALW BE5 S* A GD ADVIS] 6U AB \R
HORSES10 SD ! /ATELY LADY1 8T YR
RECOMM5D,N WD G A L;G WAY ) ME1 & IF MY
SI/] ,LAV9IA SEES NO OBJEC;N WE W A3EPT
YR (F] (A TRIAL1 ) ?ANKS40
  ,X 0 !N >RANG$ T ,I %D 2 S5T =! NEXT
"D4
  ,9 ! MORN+ A SM>T-LOOK+ "Y MAN CAME =
ME4 ,AT F/ HE LOOK$ PL1S$2 B :5 HE SAW
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MY KNEES HE SD 9 A 4APPO9T$ VOICE3

8,I DIDN'T ?9K1 SIR1 Y WD H RECOMM5D$ MY
  LADIES
A BLEMI%$ HORSE L T40

  8,8,H&"S IS T H&"S DOES'10 SD MY MA/]2
8Y >E ONLY TAK+ HM ON TRIAL1 & ,I AM
SURE Y W D FAIRLY 0HM1 "Y MAN4 ,IF HE IS
N Z SAFE Z ANY HORSE Y "E DROVE S5D HM
BACK40
  ,I 0 L$ 6MY NEW HOME1 PLAC$ 9 A -=TA#
/A#1 F$1 & LEFT 6MYF4 ,! NEXT "D1 :5 !
GROOM 0 CL1N+ MY FACE1 HE SD3

8,T IS J L ! /> T ,8,BLACK ,B1UTY' _H2
HE IS M* ! SAME HEI<T1 TOO4 ,I WOND] ":
  HE IS N[40

  ,A LL FUR!R ON HE CAME 6! PLACE 9 MY
NECK ": ,I 0 BL$ & ": A LL KNOT 0 LEFT 9
! SK94 ,HE ALM />T$1 & 2GAN 6LOOK ME OV]
C>E;LLY1 TALK+ 6HMF4
  8,:ITE /> 9 ! =EH1D1 "O :ITE FOOT ON !
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(F SIDE1 ? LL KNOT J 9 T PLACE20 !N
LOOK+ AT ! MI4LE ( MY BACK -- 8&1 Z ,I
AM ALIVE1 "! IS T LL PAT* ( :ITE HAIR T
,JOHN US$ 6CALL ,8,B1UTY'S ?REE-P5NY
BIT'4 ,X M/ 2 ,8,BLACK ,B1UTY'6 ,:Y1
,B1UTY6 ,B1UTY6 D Y "K ME8 -- LL ,JOE
,GRE51 T ALM KILL$ Y80 ,& HE 2GAN PATT+
& PATT+ ME Z IF HE 0 Q OV]JOY$4

,I CD N SAY T ,I REMEMB]$ HM1 = N[ HE 0
  A F9E GR[N
"Y FELL[1 ) BLACK :ISK]S &A MAN'S VOICE1
  B ,I 0 SURE
HE KNEW ME1 & T HE 0 ,JOE ,GRE51 & ,I 0
  V GLAD4
,I PUT MY NOSE UP 6HM1 & TRI$ 6SAY T WE
  7 FRS4
,I N"E SAW A MAN S PL1S$4

  8,GIVE Y A FAIR TRIAL6 ,I %D ?9K S
9DE$6 ,I WOND] :O ! RASCAL 0 T BROKE YR
KNEES1 MY OLD ,B1UTY6 Y M/ H BE5 BADLY
S]V$ \ "S":2 WELL1 WELL1 X WON'T 2 MY
FAULT IF Y HAV5'T GD "TS ( X N[4 ,I WI%
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,JOHN ,MANLY 0 "H 6SEE Y40
  ,9 ! AFN ,I 0 PUT 96A L[ P>K *AIR &
BR"\ 6! DOOR4 ,MISS ,ELL5 0 GO+ 6TRY ME1
& ,GRE5 W5T ) H]4 ,I SOON F.D T %E 0 A
GD DRIV]1 & %E SEEM$ PL1S$ ) MY PACES4
,I HE>D ,JOE TELL+ H] AB ME1 & T HE 0
SURE ,I 0 ,SQUIRE ,GORDON'S OLD 8,BLACK
,B1UTY04
  ,:5 WE RETURN$ ! O!R SI/]S CAME \ 6HE>
H[ ,I _H 2HAV$ MYF4 ,%E TOLD !M :AT %E
_H J HE>D1 & SD3
  8,I % C]TA9LY WRITE 6,MRS4 ,GORDON1 &
TELL H] T H] FAVORITE HORSE HAS -E 6U4
,H[ PL1S$ %E W BE60
  ,AF ? ,I 0 DRIV5 E "D =A WEEK OR S1 &
Z ,I APPE>$ 6BE Q SAFE1 ,MISS ,LAV9IA AT
LA/ V5TUR$ \ 9 ! SMALL CLOSE C>RIAGE4
,AF ? X 0 Q DECID$ 6KEEP ME & CALL ME
0MY OLD "N ( 8,BLACK ,B1UTY04

,I H N[ LIV$ 9 ? HAPPY PLACE A :OLE YE>4
  ,JOE IS ! BE/

  & K9DE/ ( GROOMS4 ,MY "W IS EASY &
             ,MY ,LA/ ,HOME
PL1SANT1 & ,I FEEL MY /R5G? & _SS ALL -+
BACK AG4 ,MR4 ,?OR\<GOOD SD 6,JOE ! O!R
"D3
  8,IN YR PLACE HE W LA/ TILL HE IS
TW5TY YE>S OLD -- P]H M40
  ,WILLIE ALW SP1KS 6ME :5 HE C1 & TR1TS
ME Z 8 SPECIAL FR4 ,MY LADIES H PROMIS$
T ,I % N"E 2 SOLD1 & S ,I H NO?+ 6FE>2 &
"H MY /ORY 5DS4 ,MY TR\#S >E ALL OV]1 &
,I AM AT HOME2 & (T5 2F ,I AM Q AWAKE1
,I FANCY ,I AM / 9 ! OR*>D AT ,BIRTWICK1
/&+ ) MY OLD FRS "U ! APPLE-TREES4