Bad Hugh

Then turning to the noble animal cropping the grass beside him, he wound

his arms around his neck, and tried to imagine how it would seem to know

the stall at home was empty, and his beautiful Rocket gone.

"If I could pawn him," he thought, just as the sound of wheels was

heard, and he saw old Colonel Tiffton driving down the turnpike.

Between the colonel and his daughter Ellen there had been a conversation

that very day touching the young man Hugh, in whom Ellen now felt a

growing interest. Seated in their handsome parlor, with her little hands

folded listlessly one above the other, Ellen was listening, while her

father told her mother.

"He didn't see how that chap was ever to pay his debts. One doctor twice

a day for three months was enough to ruin anybody, let alone having

two," and the sometimes far-seeing old colonel shook his head

doubtfully.

"Father," and Ellen stole softly to his side, "if Mr. Worthington wants

money so badly, you'll lend it to him, won't you?"

Again a doubtful shake as the prudent colonel replied: "And lose every

red I lend, hey? That's the way a woman would do, I s'pose, but I am too

old for that. Now, if he could give good security, I wouldn't mind, but

what's he got, pray, that we want?"

Ellen's gray eyes scanned his face curiously a moment, and then Ellen's

rather pretty lips whispered in his ear: "He's got Rocket, pa."

"Yes, yes, so he has; but no power on earth could make him part with

that nag. I've always liked that boy, always liked old John, but the

plague knows what he did with his money."

"You'll help Hugh?" and Ellen returned to the attack.

"Well," said the old man, "we'll see about this Hugh matter," and the

colonel left the house, and entered the buggy which had been waiting to

take him to Frankfort.

"That's funny that I should run a-foul of him," he thought, stopping

suddenly as he caught sight of Hugh, and calling out cheerily: "How

d'ye, young man? That's a fine nag of yours. My Nell is nigh about crazy

for me to buy him. What'll you take?"

"What'll you give?" was Hugh's Yankee-like response, while the colonel,

struck by Hugh's peculiar manner, settled himself back in his buggy and

announced himself ready to trade.

Hugh knew he could trust the colonel, and after a moment's hesitation

told of his embarrassments, and asked the loan of five hundred dollars,

offering Rocket as security, with the privilege of redeeming him in a

year.

"You ask a steep sum," he said, "but I take it you are in a tight spot

and don't know what else to do. That girl in the snow bank--I'll be

hanged if that was ever made quite clear to me."