plump black horse. Mrs. Samson
seemed very glad to see us, urged us to remain for tea, and invited
us to attend a tennis tournament on their lawn the following week. She
asked if Miss Morley played tennis. Frances said she had played, but not
recently. She intended to practice, however, and would be delighted to
witness the tournament, although, of course, she could not take part in
it.

"Hosy--Mr. Knowles, I mean--plays tennis," observed Hephzy, seizing the
opportunity, as usual, to speak a good word for me. "He used to play
real well."

"Really!" exclaimed Mrs. Samson, "how interesting. If we had only known.
No doubt Mr. Knowles would have liked to enter. I'm so sorry."

I hastened to protest. "My tennis is decidedly rusty," I said. "I
shouldn't think of displaying it in public. In fact, I don't play at all
now."

On the way home Frances was rather quiet. The next morning she announced
that she intended going to Wrayton that afternoon. "Johnson will drive
me over," she said. "I shall be glad if Auntie will go with me."

Wrayton was the county-seat, a good-sized town five miles from Mayberry.
Hephzy declined the invitation. She had promised to "tea" with Mrs.
Griggson that afternoon.

"Then I must go alone," said Frances. "That is unless--er--Uncle Hosea
cares to go."

"Uncle Hosea" declined. The name of itself was sufficient to make him
decline; besides Worcester and I were scheduled for golf.

"I shall go alone then," said "my niece," with decision. "Johnson will
look after me."

But after luncheon, when I visited the stable to order Johnson to
harness "Pet," I met with an unexpected difficulty. Johnson, it
appeared, was ill, had been indisposed the day before and was now at
home in bed. I hesitated. If this were Bayport I should have bade
the gardener harness "Pet" or have harnessed him myself. But this was
Mayberry, not Bayport.

The gardener, deprived of his assistant's help--Johnson worked about the
garden when not driving--was not in good humor. I decided not to ask
him to harness, but to risk a fall in the estimation of the servants by
doing it myself.

The gardener watched me for a moment in shocked disapproval. Then he
interfered.

"If you please, Mr. Knowles, sir," he said, "I'll 'arness, but I can't
drive, sir. I am netting the gooseberries. Perhaps you might get a man
from the Inn stables, unless you or the young lady might wish to drive
yourselves."

I did not wish to drive, having the