e, when they tried to turn. Then Polly dropped the umbrella, and
ran and caught them by the bridles, and brought them to a dead stop.

They were shaking from top to toe, and their glossy black breasts were
streaked and spotted with foam. Polly stroked and patted their necks,
and said, "Be aisy now, me b'ys--be aisy!" and led them to the
hitching-post and made them fast. Then she lifted out the little girl,
whose beautiful sky-blue hat was all smashed in at the crown, and
taking the poor lady in her arms as tender as though she was a baby, sat
her on the bench under the maple. The lady lay back so white and still
that I thought she was going to faint, like Miss Clarissa Lovett, that
boarded with us last summer, did once, because of Tom's putting a mouse
in her work-box.

Polly was dreadfully scart, and fanned her with a breadth of her new
apron.

"Run, darlint," said she to me, "run for yer life and fetch a dipper of
water!"

[Illustration: "RUSHING INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, SHE RAPIDLY OPENED
AND SHUT THE UMBRELLA."]

But the lady smiled, and said: "No, don't, my dear. I shall be better
presently."

And sure enough she was, and in a little while she let Polly help her to
the house; and when she had drunk a tumbler of water, and had lain on
the sitting-room lounge for a spell, she appeared as smart as ever.

The horses were some new ones of Judge Gillis's, she said, and were very
skittish. The judge was going to drive her to Mrs. Colonel Givens's, a
mile beyond the village; but as he was stepping into the buggy he
noticed there was no whip, so he went to the barn to get one. While he
was gone, the horses shied at something and started "two-forty."

"And, you good, noble girl, but for you we certainly should have been
killed," she ended, squeezing Polly's hand.

Polly grew as red as fire, and said she "must be afther a-seein' about
supper."

At that moment Ma came in the kitchen-way, and, hearing voices in the
sitting-room, walked in, very much surprised, because the sitting-room
was generally kept shut, on account of the flies and the new
window-shades.

She was more surprised on hearing what had been going on, and said the
lady must stay to supper, and that afterward Pa would drive her into the
village. And she blew the horn for Tom, and told him to saddle Jerry and
ride to Judge Gillis's and say to the folks that the lady and little
girl were all right, and at our house, and that Pa would bring them ho