The Major [95]
Put them on, hurry up, your legs are straight enough, your knees don't knock."
"Oh, Nora, they are just terrible," said Jane, almost in tears. "I know I will just squat down if Larry looks at me."
"Why should he look at you? Don't you ever let on but that you have worn them often, and he will never think of looking at you."
In face of many protests Jane was at length arrayed in her riding apparel.
"Why, you look perfectly stunning," said Nora. "You have got just the shape for them. Pull them up a little. There, that is better. Now step out and let me see you."
Jane walked across the room and Nora rocked in laughter. "Oh, Nora, I will just take them off. You are as mean as you can be. I will pull them off."
"Not a bit," said Nora, still laughing, "only stretch your legs a bit when you walk. Don't mince along. Stride like a man. These men have had all the fun in the matter of clothes. I tell you it was one of the proudest moments of my life when I saw my own legs walking. Now step out and swing your arms. There, you are fine, a fine little chap, Jane, round as a barrel, and neat as a ballet dancer, although I never saw one except in magazines."
Trim and neat Jane looked, the riding suit showing off the beautiful lines of her round, shapely figure. Shrinking, blushing, and horribly conscious of her pants, Jane followed Nora from her bedroom. A swift glance she threw around the room. To her joy it was empty but for Mrs. Gwynne, who was ready with a big glass of rich milk and a slice of home-made bread and delicious butter.
"Good morning, my dear," said Mrs. Gwynne, kissing her. "You will need something before you ride. You will have breakfast after your return."
Jane went close to her and stood beside her, still blushing. "Oh, thank you," she cried, "I am really hungry already. I hope I won't get killed. I never was on a horse before, you know."
"Oh, never fear, Lawrence is very careful. If it were Nora now I would not be so sure about you, but Lawrence is quite safe."
At this point Larry came in. "Well, Jane, all ready? Good for you. I like a girl that is always on time."
"How do you like her pants, Larry?" said Nora, wickedly.
"Perfectly splendiferous," cried Larry.
"Oh, you mean thing, Nora," cried Jane, dropping hurriedly into a chair with scarlet face and indignant eyes.
"Come along, Jane, old chap, don't mind her. Those pants never looked so well before, I assure you. We are going to have a great time. I guarantee that in a few minutes you will be entirely oblivious of such trivial things as mere pants."
They all passed out into the front yard to see Jane mount and take her first lesson.
"This is Polly," said Larry. "She has taught us all to ride, and though she has lost her shape a bit, she has still 'pep' enough to decline to take a dare."
"What do I do?" said Jane, gazing fearfully at the fat and shapeless Polly.
"There is just one rule in learning to ride," said Larry, "step on and stick there. Polly will look after the rest."
"Step on--it is easy to say, but--"
"This way," said Nora. She seized hold of the horn of the saddle, put her foot into the stirrup and sprang upon Polly's back. "Oh, there's where the pants come in," she added as her dress caught on to the rear of the saddle. "Now up you go. Make up your mind you are going to DO it, not going to TRY."
A look of serious determination came into Jane's face, a look that her friends would have recognised as the precursor of a resolute and determined attempt to achieve the thing in hand. She seized the horn of the saddle, put her foot into the stirrup and "stepped on."
The riding lesson was an unqualified success, though for some reason, known only to herself, Polly signalised the event by promptly running away immediately her head was turned homeward, and coming back down the lane at a thundering gallop.
"Hello!" cried Nora, running out to meet them. "Why, Jane, you have been fooling us all along. You needn't tell me this is your first ride."
"My very
"Oh, Nora, they are just terrible," said Jane, almost in tears. "I know I will just squat down if Larry looks at me."
"Why should he look at you? Don't you ever let on but that you have worn them often, and he will never think of looking at you."
In face of many protests Jane was at length arrayed in her riding apparel.
"Why, you look perfectly stunning," said Nora. "You have got just the shape for them. Pull them up a little. There, that is better. Now step out and let me see you."
Jane walked across the room and Nora rocked in laughter. "Oh, Nora, I will just take them off. You are as mean as you can be. I will pull them off."
"Not a bit," said Nora, still laughing, "only stretch your legs a bit when you walk. Don't mince along. Stride like a man. These men have had all the fun in the matter of clothes. I tell you it was one of the proudest moments of my life when I saw my own legs walking. Now step out and swing your arms. There, you are fine, a fine little chap, Jane, round as a barrel, and neat as a ballet dancer, although I never saw one except in magazines."
Trim and neat Jane looked, the riding suit showing off the beautiful lines of her round, shapely figure. Shrinking, blushing, and horribly conscious of her pants, Jane followed Nora from her bedroom. A swift glance she threw around the room. To her joy it was empty but for Mrs. Gwynne, who was ready with a big glass of rich milk and a slice of home-made bread and delicious butter.
"Good morning, my dear," said Mrs. Gwynne, kissing her. "You will need something before you ride. You will have breakfast after your return."
Jane went close to her and stood beside her, still blushing. "Oh, thank you," she cried, "I am really hungry already. I hope I won't get killed. I never was on a horse before, you know."
"Oh, never fear, Lawrence is very careful. If it were Nora now I would not be so sure about you, but Lawrence is quite safe."
At this point Larry came in. "Well, Jane, all ready? Good for you. I like a girl that is always on time."
"How do you like her pants, Larry?" said Nora, wickedly.
"Perfectly splendiferous," cried Larry.
"Oh, you mean thing, Nora," cried Jane, dropping hurriedly into a chair with scarlet face and indignant eyes.
"Come along, Jane, old chap, don't mind her. Those pants never looked so well before, I assure you. We are going to have a great time. I guarantee that in a few minutes you will be entirely oblivious of such trivial things as mere pants."
They all passed out into the front yard to see Jane mount and take her first lesson.
"This is Polly," said Larry. "She has taught us all to ride, and though she has lost her shape a bit, she has still 'pep' enough to decline to take a dare."
"What do I do?" said Jane, gazing fearfully at the fat and shapeless Polly.
"There is just one rule in learning to ride," said Larry, "step on and stick there. Polly will look after the rest."
"Step on--it is easy to say, but--"
"This way," said Nora. She seized hold of the horn of the saddle, put her foot into the stirrup and sprang upon Polly's back. "Oh, there's where the pants come in," she added as her dress caught on to the rear of the saddle. "Now up you go. Make up your mind you are going to DO it, not going to TRY."
A look of serious determination came into Jane's face, a look that her friends would have recognised as the precursor of a resolute and determined attempt to achieve the thing in hand. She seized the horn of the saddle, put her foot into the stirrup and "stepped on."
The riding lesson was an unqualified success, though for some reason, known only to herself, Polly signalised the event by promptly running away immediately her head was turned homeward, and coming back down the lane at a thundering gallop.
"Hello!" cried Nora, running out to meet them. "Why, Jane, you have been fooling us all along. You needn't tell me this is your first ride."
"My very