at would
leave poor Ralph here all by himself, or else he would be there a good
deal, and--"

Here a happy thought struck Miriam.

"I can't go, anyway," she said aloud, "for the gig is broken;" and, her
brother coming in at that moment, she informed him, with an air of much
relief, how the matter had settled itself.

"But I don't like matters to settle themselves in that way," said Ralph.
"The gig should certainly be in order by this time. I will go myself and
see the man about it, and if the new shafts are not finished, I can hire
a carriage for you. There is no need of your giving up a pleasant visit
for the want of means of conveyance."

"But even if the gig were all ready for us to use, you know that you
could not go until Mr. Bannister has called," said the cruel-minded
sister.

Ralph was of the opinion that there were certain features of social
etiquette which ought to be ruthlessly trodden upon, but he could think
of nothing suitable to say in regard to the point so frequently brought
up by Miriam, and, walking somewhat moodily to the front door, he saw Dr.
Tolbridge approaching in his buggy.

The good doctor had come out of his way, and on a very busy morning, to
lay before the Haverleys his project concerning Mrs. Drane and her
daughter. Having but little time, he went straight to the point, and
surprised Miriam and Ralph as much as if he had proposed to them to open
a summer hotel. But, without regard to the impression he had made, he
boldly proceeded in the statement of his case.

"You couldn't find pleasanter ladies than Mrs. Drane and her daughter,"
he said. "The latter is copying some manuscript for me, which she could
do just as well here as at my house--"

"Are you talking about the two ladies who were here yesterday afternoon?"
interrupted Miriam.

"Here, yesterday afternoon!" cried the doctor, and now it was his turn to
be surprised.

When he had heard the story of the trespass on private grounds, the
doctor laughed heartily.

"Well," said he, "Mistress Fate has been ahead of me. The good lady is in
the habit of doing that sort of thing. And now that you know the parties
in question, what have you to say?"

Miriam's blood began to glow a little, and as she gazed out of the open
door without looking at anything, her eyes grew very bright. In her
loneliness, she had been wishing that Dora Bannister would drive in at
the gate, and here was a chance to have a very different sort of a girl