it in the stable.

By these arts, a very light hand, and tact in riding, she soothed Black
Bess's nerves, so that at last the very touch of her habit skirt, or her
hand, or the sound of her voice, seemed to soothe the poor nervous
creature; and at last one day in the stable Bess protruded her great lips
and kissed her fair rider on the shoulder after her manner.

All this interested and amused Walter Clifford, but still he was
beginning to chafe at being kept from Miss Bartley, when one morning her
servant rode over with a note.

"DEAR COUSIN WALTER,--Will you kindly send me back my opera glass?
I want to see what is going on at Clifford Hall.

"Yours affectionately,

"MARY BARTLEY."

Walter wrote back directly that he would bring it himself, and tell her
what was going on at Clifford Hall.

So he rode over and told her of Julia Clifford's arrival, and how his
father had deputed him to attend on her, and she took up all his time. It
was beginning to be a bore.

"On the contrary," said Mary, "I dare say she is very handsome."

"That she is," said Walter.

"Please describe her."

"A very tall, dark girl, with wonderful eyebrows; and she has broken in
Black Bess, that some of us men could not ride in comfort."

Mary changed color. She murmured, "No wonder the Hall is more attractive
than the farm!" and the tears shone in her eyes.

"Oh, Mary," said Walter, reproachfully, "how can you say that? What is
Julia Clifford to me?"

"I can't tell," said Mary, dryly. "I never saw you together _through my
glasses, you know_."

Walter laughed at this innuendo.

"You shall see us together to-morrow, if you will bless one of us with
your company."

"I might be in the way."

"That is not very likely. Will you ride to Hammond Church to-morrow at
about ten, and finish your sketch of the tower? I will bring Miss
Clifford there, and introduce you to each other."

This was settled, and Mary was apparently quite intent on her sketch when
Walter and Julia rode up, and Walter said:

"That is my cousin, Mary Bartley. May I introduce her to you?"

"Of course. What a sweet face!"

So the ladies were introduced, and Julia praised Mary's sketch, and Mary
asked leave to add her to it, hanging, with pensive figure, over a
tombstone. Julia took an admirable pose, and Mary, with her quick and
facile fingers, had her on the paper in no time. Walter asked her, in a
whisper, what she thought of her model.

"I like her," said