r than
the corn-colored wagon in which Katy used to ride. To pay for this the
deacon had parted with the money set aside for the "greatcoat" he so
much needed for the coming winter, his old gray one having done him
service for fifteen years. But his comfort was nothing compared with
Katy's happiness, and so, with his wrinkled face beaming with delight,
he had brought home his buggy, which he designated a carriage, putting
it carefully in the barn, and saying no one should ride in it till
Katy came, the corn-color was good enough for them, but Katy was
different--Katy was Mrs. Cameron, and used to something better. With
untiring patience the old man mended up his harness, for what he had
heard of Katy's driving had impressed him strongly with her powers of
horsemanship, and, truth to tell, raised her somewhat in his respect.
Could he have afforded it Uncle Ephraim in his younger days would have
been a horse jockey, and even now he liked nothing better than to make
Old Whitey run when alone in the strip of woods between the house and
the head of the pond.

"Katy inherits her love of horses from me," he said, complacently, and
with a view of improving Whitey's style and metal, he took to feeding
him on corn and oats, talking to him at times, and telling him who was
coming.

Dear, simple-hearted Uncle Ephraim, the days which he must wait seemed
long to him as they did to the female portion of his family, to Mrs.
Lennox, Aunt Hannah and Aunt Betsy, who each did what she could to make
the house attractive. They were ready for Katy at last, or could be
early on the morrow, and with the shutting in of night the candles were
lighted in the sitting-room, and Helen sat down to her work, wishing it
was to-night that Katy was coming. As if in answer to her wish there was
the sound of wheels, which stopped before the house, and dropping her
work, Helen ran quickly to the door, just as from under the dripping
umbrella held by a driver boy, a tall young man, sprang upon the step,
nearly upsetting her, but passing an arm around her shoulders in time to
keep her from falling.

"I beg pardon for this assault upon you," the stranger said; and then,
turning to the boy, he continued: "It's all right, you need not wait."

With a chirrup and a blow the horse started forward, and the
mud-bespattered vehicle was rapidly moving down the road ere Helen had
recovered her surprise at recognizing Mark Ray, who shook the raindrops
from his hair,