gripping, which so many horsemen-- and horsewomen too, for that
matter, needlessly inflict.

"Oh, but it is glorious to ride!" exclaimed the girl, as she urged the
animal into a gallop on a soft stretch of road beneath wonderful trees
that interlaced their branches overhead. "Glorious-- glorious!"

"I hope those papers are not so valuable that it would be an object
for-- for some one to try to take them away from me," she mused.
Instinctively she glanced behind her, but the peaceful road was
deserted save for the sunshine and shadows playing tag in the dust.
Then Grace looked above. The sky was of rather a somber tint, that
seemed to suggest a storm to come, and there was a sultriness and a
silence, with so little wind that it might indicate a coming
disturbance of the elements to restore the balance that now seemed so
much on one side.

"But if any one tries to get them away from us, we-- we'll just-- run
away; won't we, Prince?" and she patted the neck of the horse. Prince
whinnied acquiescence.

"Grandmother will be surprised to see me," thought Grace, as she rode
on. "But I'm glad I can do as well as Will in business matters. I hope
papa won't be too severe with Will for not attending to this himself."

She passed a drinking trough-- a great log hollowed out, into which
poured a stream of limpid water coming from a distant hill through a
rude wooden pipe. It dripped over the mossy green sides of the trough,
and Prince stretched his muzzle eagerly toward it.