en if Hallam were to
part with his burro, it would not be to you."

The simple lad's fierce temper rose in full force at Amy's blunt words.

"Like to know why not? Ain't my money as good as anybody's? Ain't I
'stuck up' enough to suit? He never rode in a parade, he didn't. Told me
so himself."

"Nor do I think he ever will, and, of course, one person's money is as
good as another's, excepting that we could never trust how long you
would be kind to dear old Balaam. Hal would take much less to have the
creature well treated than--I mean--Oh, don't get so angry; it's not
worth while."

The more she tried to smooth matters over, the more indignant the other
became. His harp was still between such discolored teeth as Pepita's
former assault had left him, and added to the grotesqueness of his
appearance as he glared upon Amy. To finish what she had begun, she
remarked:--

"Just tie him there, at that second post, please, and you'd best put his
blanket on him."

"Tie him? I'm goin' to ride him to the village to let the boys see him
an' try him. I promised I would. Tie him! I shan't neither!"

"You certainly will not ride him to wherever those dreadful boys are.
Nobody shall touch him, except you or me, and you ought not."

Fayette gave her one more angry glance, leaped from his saddle with a
jerk, and bestowed upon the unoffending burro a vicious kick. Then he
disappeared down the street, and Amy tied Pepita in haste, that she
might look after the other animal also.

Just then she heard a step upon the path behind her, and the
superintendent's pleasant voice, saying:--

"Well, young lady, you are certainly prompt, and promptness is a
cardinal virtue--from a business man's point of view. See, here is the
little girl for whom you are giving up your pet."

"Ah, indeed."

Amy smiled upon the child, who might have been ten years of age, and the
fragile little creature appeared to smile in return. Then it came over
the visitor that there was something out of common in that uplifted,
happy face, and that the smile was not in response to her own greeting.
The wide blue eyes looked upward, truly, but with the blank stare of
one who sees nothing.

"Ah, is it so?" cried Amy, a second time, watching with what hesitation
the little girl moved along the path, and how persistently she clung to
her father's hand.

"Yes, blind; quite blind--from her birth," said Mr. Metcalf, sadly.

Amy was on her knees in a moment, claspin