to call on your
sister. Phoebe told me she thought she was out here, and so I came to
look for her myself. A barn is so charming to me, especially a great one
like this, that I would rather make a call in it than in the house."

"I will go and look for her," said Ralph. "She cannot be far away." And
then he glanced at the horse, as if he were in doubt what to do with it
at this juncture.

"Oh, let me hold your horse," cried Dora, putting down the parasol by the
side of the barn and approaching; "I mean while you go and get its
halter. I am ever so fond of horses, and like to hold them and feed them
and pet them. Is this one gentle?"

"I don't know much about her," said Ralph, laughing, "for we have just
taken possession of the place, and are only beginning to find out what
animals we own, and what they are like. This old mare seems gentle
enough, though rather obstinate. I have just brought her in out of the
fields, where she has been grazing ever since the season opened."

"She looks like a very good horse, indeed," said Dora, patting the
tangled hair on the creature's neck.

"I brought her in," said Ralph, "thinking I might rub her down, and get
her into proper trim for use. My sister is much disappointed to find that
out of our four horses, two are unbroken colts, and one is in constant
use by the man. I think if I can give her a drive, even if it is behind a
jogging old mare, it will set up her spirits again."

"You must let me hold her," said Dora, "while you get the halter, and
then you can tie her, while we go and look for your sister. Don't
think of such a thing as letting her go, after all your trouble in
catching her."

"If I could get her into these stables," said Ralph, "I might shut her
in, but I don't think that I shall be able to pull her through that
doorway in this fashion."

Without further ado, Miss Dora put out her right hand, in its neatly
fitting kid glove, and took hold of the mare's forelock, just above
Ralph's hand. The young man demurred an instant, and then, laughing, ran
into the stable to find a halter. His ownership of everything was so
fresh that he forgot that the lower part of the barn was occupied by the
cow stables--which the old mare did not wish to enter, or even approach.
He hurriedly rummaged here and there among the stalls, finding nothing
but some chains and rope's ends fastened to the mangers, but in his hasty
search he could not help thinking how extremely ingenuous an