"Now then, Ralph," said she, "I am coming to it, and mind, not a word more than I ask for.

Have we any horses ?" "We have," he replied.
"How many ?" "Four." Miriam clasped her hands and looked at her brother with sparkling eyes.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, "four horses!" "Two of them," he began, but she stopped him in an instant.
"Don't tell me another thing," she cried; "I don't want to know what color they are, or anything about them.

To-morrow I shall see them for myself.

Oh, Ralph, isn't it perfectly wonderful that we should have four horses?
I can't stand anything more just now, so please kiss me good-night." About an hour afterwards Ralph was awakened by a knock at his door.
"Who is there ?" he cried.
The door opened a very little way.
"Ralph," said Miriam, through the crack, "is there one of our horses which can be ridden by a lady ?" Ralph's first impulse was to throw a pillow at the door, but he remembered that sisters were different from fellows at school.
"Can't say anything about that until we try," said he; "and now, Miriam, please go to bed and to sleep." Miriam shut the door and went away, but in her dreams she rode a prancing charger into Miss Stone's schoolyard, and afterwards drove all the girls in a tally-ho..