The wheel of the buggy that held the
heedless driver passed over the high porch step. The girl inside felt
herself let gently down on the ground and a high, black canopy covered
her. Then, at last, Madge became alive to the situation.

But it was too late! Old Prince was frightened. The noise of the
overturned buggy had upset his nerves. He began to run--not very fast,
but fast enough so that Madge found herself being dragged along the
ground over the smooth grass lawn. She couldn't crawl out from under the
buggy and she certainly did not wish to remain under it. She raised her
voice in one long cry of terror.

A boy had been working back of the house. He was in his shirt sleeves
and had an old, torn, straw hat pulled down over his eyes. An ugly scowl
was the only attention he had paid to the doctor and Madge as they drove
into the yard. His face was flushed, not so much from the sun as from
the anger that was raging within him. It was hard enough to work like a
slave for a cranky old maid, without being constantly "pecked at." David
believed that he hated every one in the world. Yet at Madge's shrill cry
for help he dropped his rake and ran toward the front lawn. He saw the
overturned buggy, heard the noise that came from underneath it, but he
could see no sign of Madge. Dr. Alden had also dashed from the house
onto the front porch. He was followed by a woman of about sixty years.
Her hair was parted in the middle and she wore little bunches of
corkscrew curls over each ear, in the fashion of half a century ago.
"Oh, my! Oh, my!" she cried, wringing her hands. "How can I bear it? how
can I bear it?" One might have supposed that she were frightened over
Madge.

Dr. Alden started in pursuit of the horse. But at his approach old
Prince quickened his pace. "Stand still!" a peremptory voice called to
him sharply. "Stop crying out!" the same voice ordered Madge.

Dr. Alden gazed in bewilderment at the speaker. Madge at the same
instant realized that she must be frightening the horse with the noise
she was making.

The boy with the torn hat advanced quietly toward the horse, showing no
special interest in him. He called gently to the animal, holding out a
bunch of grass. Prince was only frightened at the strange turn his
affairs had taken. He now stopped for a minute. Immediately a firm hand
seized his head.

Dr. Alden made a move toward his buggy. "Unhitch the horse," commanded
the boy.

Once the horse was free from