who was cleaning the bay. "If a gal wants to
drive, let her hitch. Ye'd better let a woman go the whole figger
when she gits started, just as ye'd better give an ugly cuss of a
horse his head up hill an' down. It takes the mischief out of 'em
quicker'n anything. Let her go it, Dexter--don't ye fret."

"I don't want her breakin' any of the parson's daughter's bones with
none of my horses," said Dexter Beers, uneasily. "Wonder where the
parson is?"

"Let 'em go it! They won't git smashed up, I guess," said the other.
"I've seen that gal of Hautville's with that mare of his'n. She kin
drive most anythin' short of the devil, an' old white's got sense
enough to know when he's well driv, ugly's he is. He wa'n't on the
track for nothin'. He ain't no wuss, if he's as bad, as that roan
mare. Let 'em _go_ it!"

"Wonder what's to pay?" said the young man, who had not spoken
before.

"Dunno," said Dexter Beers. "Somethin's to pay--that girl acted
queer."

"S'pose she takes it hard 'bout Burr Gordon. He used to fool 'round
her, I've heerd, afore he went courtin' the parson's gal."

"Dunno--queer she's so thick with the parson's gal all of a sudden."

"Lord, I wouldn't tech a gal that could git the upperhand of a horse
like that roan mare with a ten-foot pole," half soliloquized the man
at work over the bay. "Wouldn't have her if she owned half the
township, an' went down on her knees to me--darned if I would. Don't
want no woman that kin make horse-flesh like that knuckle under.
Guess a man wouldn't have much show; hev to take his porridge 'bout
the way she wanted to make it. Whoa, there! stan' still, can't ye?
Darned if I want nothin' to do with sech woman folks or sech horses
as ye be."

Dexter Beers moved laboriously out to the stable door and peered
after Madelon, but she had disappeared in Parson Fair's yard. The
white horse had gone up the road at a brisk trot, but she had easily
kept pace with him. She also harnessed him into the sleigh with no
difficulty. The animal seemed docile, and as if he were to belie his
hard reputation. There was, however, a proud and nervous cant to his
old white head, and he set his jaw stiffly against his bit.

Dorothy came out in her quilted silk pelisse and her blue hood edged
with swan's-down, and got into the sleigh. The black woman was
keeping watch at the parson's study door the while, but he never
swerved from his hard application of the doctrines. The sleigh
slipped noiselessl