"He might have stopped the horse while he was about it," growled the fellow, picking up his own reins again. "Now I'll have to ride after it.""You'd better," said the little lady, sharply. "If father knew that horse had run away with me he would be dreadfully put out. You hurry after him, Peter."The lout never said a word in reply, but his horse carried him swiftly out of sight in the wake of the runaway. Then the girl turned again to Hiram and the young farmer knew that he was being keenly examined by her bright black eyes.
"I am very sure father will not keep him," declared the girl, looking at Hiram thoughtfully. "He is too careless--and I don't like him, anyway. Do you live around here?""I expect to," replied Hiram, smiling. "I have just come. I am going to stay at this next house, along the road.""Oh! where the old gentleman died last week?""Yes. Mrs. Atterson was left the place by her uncle, and I am going to run it for her.""Oh, dear! then you've got a place to work?" queried the little lady, with plain disappointment in her tone. "I am sure father would like to have you instead of Peter."But Hiram shook his head slowly, though still smiling,"I'm obliged to you," he said; "but I have agreed to stop with Mrs. Atterson for a time.""I want father to meet you just the same," she declared.
She had a way about her that impressed Hiram with the idea that she seldom failed in getting what she wanted. If she was not a spoiled child, she certainly was a very much indulged one.
But she was pretty! Dark, petite, with a brilliant smile, flashing eyes, and a riot of blue-black curls, she was verily the daintiest and prettiest little creature the young farmer had ever seen.
"I am Lettie Bronson," she said, frankly. "I live down the road toward Scoville. We have only just come here.""I know where you live," said Hiram, smiling and nodding.
"You must come and see us. I want you to know father. He's the very nicest man there is, I think.""He came all the way East here so as to live near my school--I go to the St. Beris school in Scoville. It's awfully nice, and the girls are very fashionable; but I'd be too lonely to live if daddy wasn't right near me all the time.
"What is your name?" she asked suddenly. Hiram told her.
"Why! that's a regular farmer's name, isn't it--Hiram?" and she laughed--a clear and sweet sound, that made an inquisitive squirrel that had been watching them scamper away to his hollow, chattering.
"I don't know about that," returned the young farmer, shaking his head and smiling. "I ought by good rights to be 'a worker in brass', according to the Bible. That was the trade of Hiram, of the tribe of Naphtali, who came out of Tyre to make all the brass work for Solomon's temple.""Oh! and there was a King Hiram, of Tyre, too, wasn't there," cried Lettie, laughing. "You might be a king, you know.""That seems to be an unprofitable trade now-a-days," returned the young fellow, shaking his head. "I think I will be the namesake of Hiram, the brass-smith, for it is said of him that he was 'filled with wisdom and understanding' and that is what I want to be if I am going to run Mrs. Atterson's farm and make it pay.""You're a funny boy," said the girl, eyeing him furiously. "You're--you're not at all like Pete--or these other boys about "You'Scoville.
"And that Pete Dickerson isn't any good at all! I shall tell daddy all about how he touched up that horse and made him run. Here he comes now!"They had been walking steadily along the road toward the Atterson house, and in the direction the runaway had taken. Pete Dickerson appeared, riding one of the bays and leading the one that had been frightened.
The latter was all of a lather, was blowing hard, and before the horses reached them, Hiram saw that the runaway was in bad shape.
"Hold on!" he cried to the lout. "Breathe that horse a while. Let him stand. He ought to be rubbed down, too. Don't you see the shape he is in?""Aw, what's eatin' you?" demanded Pete, eyeing the speaker with much disfavor.
The horse, when he stopped, was trembling all over. His nostrils were dilated and as red as blood, and strings of foam were dripping from his bit. "Don't let him stand there in the shade," spoke Hiram, more"mildly. He'll take a chill.Here! let me have him."He approached the still frightened horse, and Pete jerked the bridle- rein. The horse started back and snorted.
"Stand 'round there, ye 'tarnal nuisance!" exclaimed Pete.
But Hiram caught the bridle and snatched it from the other fellow's hand.
"Just let me manage him a minute," said Hiram, leading the horse into the sunshine.
He patted him, and soothed him, and the horse ceased trembling and his ears pricked up. Hiram, still keeping the reins in his hand, loosened the cinches and eased the saddle so that the animal could breathe better.
There were bunches of dried sage-grass growing by the roadside, and the young farmer tore off a couple of these bunches and used them to wipe down the horse's legs. Pretty soon the creature forgot his fright and looked like a normal horse again.
"If he was mine I'd give him whip a-plenty--till he learned better," drawled Pete Dickerson, finally.
"Don't you ever dare touch him with the whip again!" cried the girl, stamping her foot. "He will not stand it. You were told---""Aw, well," said the fellow, "'I didn't think he was going to cut up as bad as that. These Western horses ain't more'n half broke, anyway.""I think he is perfectly safe for you to ride now, Miss Bronson," said Hiram, quietly. "I'll give you a hand up. But walk him home, please."He had tightened the cinches again. Lettie put her tiny booted foot in his hand (she wore a very pretty dark green habit) and with perfect ease the young farmer lifted her into the saddle.
"Good-bye--and thank you again!" she said, softly, giving him her free hand just as the horse started.
"Say! you're the fellow who's going to live at Atterson's place?" observed Pete. "I'll see you later," and he waved his hand airily as he rode off.
"So that's Pete Dickerson, is it?" ruminated Hiram, as he watched the horses out of sight. "Well, if his father, Sam, is anything like him, we certainly have got a sweet pair of neighbors!"
