horse. She was pert, coquettish, coy, loving, inquisitive,
naughty; both Tess and Missy declared she had really human intelligence.

She began to manifest this the very day of her arrival. After Tess had
ridden round the town and shown off properly, she left the pony in
the sideyard of the sanitarium while she and Missy slipped off to the
summerhouse to enjoy a few stolen chapters from "The Duchess." There was
high need for secrecy for, most unreasonably, "The Duchess" had been put
under a parental ban; moreover Tess feared there were stockings waiting
to be darned.

Presently they heard Mrs. O'Neill calling, but they just sat still,
stifling their giggles. Gypsy, who had sauntered up to the summerhouse
door, poked in an inquisitive nose. Mrs. O'Neill didn't call again, so
Tess whispered: "She thinks we've gone over to your house--we can go on
reading."

After a while Missy glanced up and nudged Tess. "Gypsy's still
there--just standing and looking at us! See her bright eyes--the
darling!"

"Yes, isn't she cute?" agreed Tess.

But, just at that, a second shadow fell athwart the sunny sward, a hand
pushed Gypsy's head from the opening, and Mrs. O'Neill's voice said:

"If you girls don't want your whereabouts given away, you'd better teach
that pony not to stand with her head poked in the door for a half-hour
without budging!"

The ensuing scolding wasn't pleasant, but neither of the miscreants had
the heart to blame Gypsy. She was so cute.

She certainly was cute.

The second day of her ownership Tess judged it necessary to give Gypsy
a switching; Gypsy declined to be saddled and went circling round and
round the yard in an abandon of playfulness. So Tess snapped off a
peach-tree switch and, finally cornering the pony, proceeded to use
it. Missy pleaded, but Tess stood firm for discipline. However Gypsy
revenged herself; for two hours she wouldn't let Tess come near
her--she'd sidle up and lay her velvet nose against Missy's shoulder
until Tess was within an arm's length, and then, tossing her head
spitefully, caper away.

No wonder the girls ejaculated at her smartness.

Finally she turned gentle as a lamb, soft as silk, and let Tess
adjust the saddle; but scarcely had Tess ridden a block
before--wrench!--something happened to the saddle, and Tess was left
seated by the roadside while Gypsy vanished in a cloud of dust. The imp
had deliberately swelled herself out so that the girth would be loose!

Every