Bad Hugh

They had kept it all from Hugh, telling him only that a stranger had

purchased Mosside. He had not asked for Rocket, or even mentioned him,

though his pet was really uppermost in his mind, and when he awoke next

morning from his feverish sleep and remembered Alice's proposal to ride,

he said to himself, "I cannot go, much as I might enjoy it. No other

horse would carry me as gently as Rocket. Oh! Rocket!"

It was a bright, balmy morning, and Hugh, as he walked slowly to the

window and inhaled the fragrant air, felt that it would do him good,

"But I shan't go," he said, and when, after breakfast was over, Alice

came, reminding him of the ride, he began an excuse, but his resolution

quickly gave way before her sprightly arguments, and he finally

assented, saying, however: "You must not expect a gay cavalier, for I am

still too weak, and I have no horse fit to ride with you, at least."

"Yes, I know," and Alice ran gayly to her room and donned her riding

dress, wondering what Hugh would say and how Rocket would act.

He was out in the back yard now, pawing and curvetting, and rubbing his

nose against all who came near him, while Claib was holding him by his

new bridle and talking to him of Mas'r Hugh.

Even an ugly woman is improved by a riding costume, and Alice, beautiful

though she was, looked still more beautiful in her closely-fitting

habit.

"There, I'm ready," she said, running down to Hugh.

At sight of her his face flushed, while a half sigh escaped him as he

thought how proud he would once have been to ride with her; but that was

in the days of Rocket, when rider and horse were called the best in the

county.

"Where's Jim?" Hugh asked, glancing around in quest of the huge animal

he expected to mount, and which he had frequently likened to a stone

wall.

"Claib has your horse. He's coming," and with great apparent unconcern

Alice worked industriously at one of her fairy gantlets.

Suddenly Adah flew to Hugh's side, and said, eagerly: "Hugh, please whistle once, just as you used to do for Rocket--just

once, and let Miss Johnson hear you."

Hugh felt as if she were mocking him, but he yielded, while like a gleam

of lightning the shadow of a suspicion flitted across his mind. It was a

loud, shrill whistle, penetrating even to the woods, and the instant the

old familiar sound fell on Rocket's ear he went tearing around the

house, answering that call with the neigh he had been wont to give when

summoned by his master. Utterly speechless, Hugh stood gazing at him as

he came up, his neck arched proudly, and his silken mane flowing as

gracefully as on the day when he was led away to Colonel Tiffton's

stall.