"Yes I did; and what's that to you, Ruth? but may-be Miss Amy wants him ?"

66 Every may-be has a may-not-be, Jerry ; but tell me, is he kind and well broke?"

"I tell no lies, Ruth, not even when I sell a horse. Robinette is as steady as a parson, and he's a lump of good nature. But now do tell me if you don't want him for Miss Amy?"

"We two can keep a secret when one is away; all I tell you is, I engage the refusal of the horse."

To this Jerry agreed. John returned to say there was no answer to the note, and Jerry again remembered that he was in a great hurry, and departed, saying, "Well, I must be back in less than no time."

"How shall I manage the business?" said Ruth to herself; "when there's a will there's always a way." She could not talk even to herself without a proverb. "Let me see; Miss Amy is in the breakfast-room; I have not dusted the pictures yet." In another minute Ruth was apparently very busily employed dusting the pictures. As she stood behind the sofa, where Amy Weston was sitting with a book in her hand, she noticed that she held it upside down.

"I calculate," said Ruth to herself, "that she will not be much the wiser for what she reads this morning. She's only making believe read well, the honestest folks are not always to be trusted. Do you expect a great many folks this evening, Miss Amy?" "No, Ruth, scarcely any body."

"Then I suppose John can tend alone?"

Certainly, I want no further preparations made than those I have mentioned."

"Just as I thought," said Ruth to herself; "straws show which way the wind blows. She does not value the party now the worth of a pin, and before she got that note she seemed to think of nothing else. I'm sorry for her; there's no herb will cure love." Ruth sighed audibly, as if she had reference to her own experience. "I will," thought she, "try speaking to her about Robinette."

Amy was fully aware of Ruth's loquacity, and had a sort of intuitive knowledge that she was about exercising it upon her at this time, when she was not disposed to indulge her. She rose from her seat with the intention of retiring to her own room; but Ruth was not so easily baffled in her plans.

"Didn't I hear you say, Miss Amy, that you wanted a saddle-horse?"

"Yes, I did say so, Ruth."

"Well, ma'am, I've had one offered to me to-day, that I guess will suit you exactly."

"It seems odd for you and me to be in treaty for a horse, Ruth; I fear we should make but poor jockeys; but who has offered you one?"

"Why you know, ma'am, that poor Mr. Selmar has lost all his money, and he 's going to sell off every thing he owns, even Robinette, his beautiful saddle-horse."

"Well, Ruth, and what of that?"

"Why you see, Miss Amy, that Jerry says that Robinette is as good as he is handsome, which is n't always the case; and you see, I've engaged the refusal of him, for I thought he would be just the thing for you."

"Surely, Ruth, you have not done such a thing, and without any direction from me too."

"No harm done, Miss Amy; no one knows who I engaged him for; but I thought you would like Mr. Edward's horse better than any other."

"But I do not wish, Ruth, to bargain for Mr. Selmar's horse; it was very improper in you, Ruth; you must go directly and tell Jerry that you did this without my knowledge, and that I do not want Robinette.

How could you do such a thing?" Amy left the room as she said this.

"Well, if that is n't ridiculous!" said Ruth as soon as she was alone. "I reckon she's put out with Mr. Edward for not coming this evening, and that is making her so set against his horse, and that's ridiculous in her; and I suppose he's mad because he failed, and so he spites himself by staying at home, and that's ridiculous in him; and here am I meddling with what's none of my business, and that's more ridiculous than all; and what's the worst of the whole, Jerry will get the laugh at me, if he finds it out. True enough, one fool makes many. He made such a palaver too about the horse; I'll be bound he's not such a terrible good horse, after all. I mean to tell him as much when I see him. I never saw Miss Amy so put out before. Somehow or other it makes one feel more ugly to see such a pretty spoken person as Miss Amy out of sorts, than it does one of your real crabbed folks. The sweetest wine makes the sharpest vinegar, as Aunt Polly used to say. Well, I must go to Mr. Selmar's, and tell Jerry I don't want his horse-good, bad, or indifferent."

Ruth was soon at Mr. Selmar's door.

"Well Ruth who'd a thought of seeing you again so soon!" exclaimed Jerry, as he opened it to her.

"Why you see, Jerry, second thoughts are

best; and I have come to the conclusion that I won't have any thing to do with your horse I guess there are enough others as good as he any day."

"So, Miss Amy wo'n't take him," replied Jerry; "I can tell her that she'll not get many such horses as Robinette for love or money."

66 Why what had Miss Amy to do with it? I tell you, Jerry, that it is I, don't want the horse. I went all on my own hook; but as for your thinking Robinette is such a wonder, you know, Jerry, that you always think your crows are white."

"But I can tell you, Ruth, that I don't half like being served so by you; you make me look very cheap to Mr. Selmar. I have just told him that I'd e'en a'most sold Robinette."

"E'en a'most and very nigh, save many a lie, Jerry. I don't want the horse, and that's the long and the short on't. Mr. Selmar is not at home, is he?"

06 "Yes he is," said Mr. Selmar, who happened just then to be passing through the