scarcely hidden when, chancing to glance
down the road, I saw Mr. Horton's team, with the light wagon attached,
trotting briskly toward the house.

Only Jessie, Ralph, and Mrs. Horton were in the wagon, and it startled
me at first to observe that Ralph was driving. My astonishment changed
to amusement as they drew nearer, and I saw that Mrs. Horton's capable
hands held a firm grip of the lines, just far enough behind Ralph's
not to deprive him of the glory of the idea that he was doing all the
driving.

"'Oo! 'oo, dere!" he called imperiously, bringing the horses--with
Mrs. Horton's help--to a standstill before the gate. Jessie sprang
out and turned to lift the little driver to the ground, while we
all began talking at once. But our mutual torrent of questions was
abruptly checked by the contumacious conduct of that same small
driver, who deeply resented Jessie's invitation to him to come off his
perch. "Me is doin' tek care of 'e 'orses," he declared, scowling
defiance at his sister. "Mis 'Orton, 'oo dit out if 'oo p'ease!"

No better description of Mrs. Horton could be given than to say that
she was all that her husband was not--the dearest soul. She laughed as
she surveyed the conceited little fellow and then said seriously: "How
in the world am I to get out if you don't get out first and help me
down?"

Ralph was unprepared for this emergency, but the objection appeared to
him reasonable; he slid slowly off the seat--he was so short that it
seemed a long time before his tiny toes touched the bottom of the
wagon-box--and began climbing laboriously down, over the wheel. When
he had at length reached the ground Mrs. Horton stood up and with the
reins held securely in one hand she gained the hub of the near wheel.
From that vantage she reached down to meet Ralph's upstretched mite of
a hand, and so was gallantly assisted to alight.

To my delight Mrs. Horton announced that she had come to spend the day
with us. She led the team to the barn and we proceeded to unharness
them without assistance from their late driver, who had already
forgotten his intention and his dignity in a romp with his friend and
playmate, the cat.

"I suppose your tooth stopped aching and you decided not to have it
out," I said to Jessie, as we were helping Mrs. Horton.

"No," Mrs. Horton explained, cheerfully; "by the best of luck, Dr.
Green chanced to be passing our house last night, soon after Jake
brought Jessie. We called him in, and