o the noble animal cropping the grass beside him, he wound
his arms around his neck, and tried to imagine how it would seem to know
the stall at home was empty, and his beautiful Rocket gone.

"If I could pawn him," he thought, just as the sound of wheels was
heard, and he saw old Colonel Tiffton driving down the turnpike.

Between the colonel and his daughter Ellen there had been a conversation
that very day touching the young man Hugh, in whom Ellen now felt a
growing interest. Seated in their handsome parlor, with her little hands
folded listlessly one above the other, Ellen was listening, while her
father told her mother.

"He didn't see how that chap was ever to pay his debts. One doctor twice
a day for three months was enough to ruin anybody, let alone having
two," and the sometimes far-seeing old colonel shook his head
doubtfully.

"Father," and Ellen stole softly to his side, "if Mr. Worthington wants
money so badly, you'll lend it to him, won't you?"

Again a doubtful shake as the prudent colonel replied: "And lose every
red I lend, hey? That's the way a woman would do, I s'pose, but I am too
old for that. Now, if he could give good security, I wouldn't mind, but
what's he got, pray, that we want?"

Ellen's gray eyes scanned his face curiously a moment, and then Ellen's
rather pretty lips whispered in his ear: "He's got Rocket, pa."

"Yes, yes, so he has; but no power on earth could make him part with
that nag. I've always liked that boy, always liked old John, but the
plague knows what he did with his money."

"You'll help Hugh?" and Ellen returned to the attack.

"Well," said the old man, "we'll see about this Hugh matter," and the
colonel left the house, and entered the buggy which had been waiting to
take him to Frankfort.

"That's funny that I should run a-foul of him," he thought, stopping
suddenly as he caught sight of Hugh, and calling out cheerily: "How
d'ye, young man? That's a fine nag of yours. My Nell is nigh about crazy
for me to buy him. What'll you take?"

"What'll you give?" was Hugh's Yankee-like response, while the colonel,
struck by Hugh's peculiar manner, settled himself back in his buggy and
announced himself ready to trade.

Hugh knew he could trust the colonel, and after a moment's hesitation
told of his embarrassments, and asked the loan of five hundred dollars,
offering Rocket as security, with the privilege of redeeming him in a
year.

"You ask a steep sum," he said, "