“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.

CHAPTER VI

MRS. TOLBRIDGE’S CALLERS

The next day was a very fine one, and as the roads were now good, and the air mild, Miss Panney thought it was quite time that she should begin to go about and see her friends without depending on the vehicles of other people, so she ordered her little phaeton and her old roan mare, and drove herself to Thorbury to see Mrs. Tolbridge.

“The doctor tells me,” said that good lady, “that you take great interest in those young people at Cobhurst.”

“Indeed I do,” said Miss Panney, sitting up as straight in her easy chair as if it had been a wooden bench with no back; “I have been thinking about him all the morning.  He ought to be married.”

Mrs. Tolbridge laughed.

“Dear me, Miss Panney,” said she, “it is too soon to begin thinking of a wife for the poor fellow.  He has not had time to feel himself at home.”

“My motto is that it is never too soon to begin, but we won’t talk about that.  Kitty, you are the worst matchmaker I ever saw.”

“I think I made a pretty good match for myself,” said the other.

“No, you didn’t.  The doctor made that, and I helped.  You had nothing to do with the preliminary work, which is really the most important.”

Mrs. Tolbridge smiled.  “I am sure I am very much obliged,” she said.

“You ought to be.  And now while we are on the subject, let me ask you:  Have you a new cook?”

“I have,” replied the other, “but she is worse than the last one.”

Miss Panney rose to her feet, and walked across the room.

“Kitty Tolbridge!” she exclaimed, “this is too bad.  You’re trifling with the greatest treasure a woman can have on this earth—­the life of a good husband.”

“But what am I to do?” asked Mrs. Tolbridge.  “I have tried everywhere, and I can get no one better.”

“Everywhere,” repeated Miss Panney.  “You mean everywhere in Thorbury.  You oughtn’t to expect to get a decent cook in this little town.  You should go to the city and get one.  What you want is to keep the doctor well, no matter what it costs.  He doesn’t look well, and I don’t see how he can be well, on the kind of cooking you can get in Thorbury.”

Mrs. Tolbridge flushed a little.