ay.

Nick Ribsam, as he grew in years and strength, became more valuable to
his father, who found it necessary, now and then, to keep him home from
school. This, however, did not happen frequently, for the parents were
anxious that their children should receive a good school education, and
Nick's readiness enabled him to recover, very quickly, the ground thus
lost.

There was not so much need of Nellie, and, when at the age of six she
began her attendance, she rarely missed a day. If it was stormy she was
bundled up warmly, and, occasionally, she was taken in the carriage when
the weather was too severe for walking.

The summer was gone when Nick helped harness the roan mare to the
carriage, and, driving down to the forks, let Nellie out, and kept on
toward Dunbarton, while the little girl continued ahead in the direction
of the school-house.

"I've got to stay there so long," said Nick, in bidding his sister
good-by, "that I won't be here much before four o'clock, so I will look
out for you and you can look out for me and I'll take you home."

Nellie said she would not forget, and walked cheerfully up the road,
singing a school song to herself.

The little girl, when early enough, stopped at the house of Mr.
Marston, whose girl Lizzie attended school. This morning, however, when
Nick called from the road, he was told that Lizzie had been gone some
time, so he drove on without her.

The dwelling of Mr. Kilgore stood so far back that Nellie never could
spare the time to walk up the long lane and back again, but she
contented herself with peering up the tree-lined avenue in quest of
Sallie and Bobby Kilgore.

However, they were also invisible, and so it was that Nellie made the
rest of the journey alone.

The distance being so considerable, Nellie and Nick always carried their
dinners with them, so that, after their departure in the morning, the
parents did not expect to see them again until between four and five in
the afternoon.

The roan mare was young and spirited, but not vicious, and the boy had
no trouble in controlling her.

When half way through the stretch of woods they crossed a bridge, whose
planks rattled so loudly under the wheels and hoofs that the animal
showed a disposition to rear and plunge over the narrow railing at the
side.

But the boy used his whip so vigorously that he quickly tamed the beast,
which was not slow to understand that her master was holding the reins.

When Nick was