her with radiant face. It was
delightful to be able to bestow such pleasure.

In two minutes Mr. Bannister had brought in his horse. In the next minute
all three of the party were busy unbuckling his harness; in ten minutes
more it had been taken off, the saddle and bridle substituted, and Mr.
Bannister was riding to Thorbury.

Dora of the sparkling eyes drew close to Miriam.

"Would you mind my kissing you?" she asked.

There was nothing in the warm young soul of the other girl which in the
least objected to this token of a new-born friendship.

As Dora and Miriam, each with an arm around the waist of the other,
walked out of the barn and passed the lower story, the calf, who had been
the main instrument in bringing about the cordial relations between the
two, raised his head and gazed at them with his good eye. Then perceiving
that they had forgotten him, and were going away without even arranging
his mosquito net for the night, he slowly turned his clouded visual organ
in their direction, and composed himself to rest.

CHAPTER XII

TO EAT WITH THE FAMILY

As the two girls entered the house, Miriam clapped her hands.

"What a surprise this will be for Ralph!" she exclaimed. "He hasn't the
slightest idea that you are here, or that anybody is going to spend the
night with us. If Mike said anything about you and your brother,--which I
doubt, for he is awfully anxious to get in that hay,--Ralph thought, of
course, that you were both gone long ago."

The situation suited Dora's fancy admirably.

"Let us make it a regular surprise," she said. "I am going to help you to
get supper, and to do whatever you have to do. Suppose you don't tell
your brother that I am here, and let him find it out by degrees. Don't
you think that will be fun?"

"Indeed it will," cried the other; "and if you don't mind helping a
little about the cooking, I think that will be fun too. Perhaps you can
tell me some things I don't know."

"Let us begin," exclaimed Dora, "for everything ought to be ready before
he comes in. Can you lend me a big apron?"

"I have only one," said Miriam, "and it is not very big; I intended to
make some more, but I haven't had time. But you needn't do anything, you
know. You can just give me advice and keep me company."

"Oh, I want to do things. I want to work," cried Dora; "it would be cruel
to keep me from the fun of helping you get supper. Haven't you something
I can slip on instead of this dre