Without further ado, Miss Dora put out her right hand, in its neatly fitting kid glove, and took hold of the mare’s forelock, just above Ralph’s hand.  The young man demurred an instant, and then, laughing, ran into the stable to find a halter.  His ownership of everything was so fresh that he forgot that the lower part of the barn was occupied by the cow stables—­which the old mare did not wish to enter, or even approach.  He hurriedly rummaged here and there among the stalls, finding nothing but some chains and rope’s ends fastened to the mangers, but in his hasty search he could not help thinking how extremely ingenuous and neighborly was that handsome girl outside.

Dora held firmly the forelock of the mare, and patted the good animal’s head with the other hand; but, strange to say, the animal did not like being held by the young lady, and gradually she backed, first toward the side of the barn, and then out toward the open yard.  Dora attempted to restrain her, but in spite of all her efforts was obliged to follow the retrogressive animal.

“It’s my gloves she doesn’t like,” she said to herself; “I know some horses can’t bear the smell of kid, but I can’t take them off now, and I will not let go.  I wish he would hurry with the halter.”

Little by little poor Dora was pulled forward, until she reached a spot which was at the very end of the clean straw, and yet not very far from the wall of the barn.  Here she vigorously endeavored to make a stand, for if she went another step forward her dainty boots would sink into mud and dirt.

“Whoa!” she called out to the mare; “whoa, now!”

At the sound of these words, plainly uttered in trouble, Ralph, who happened to be in a stall next to the barn wall looking over some ropes, glanced through a little window about four feet from the ground, and saw Miss Bannister very close to him, tottering on the edge of the straw, and just about to let go of the mare, or step into the mire.  Before he could shape words to tell her to release her dangerous hold, or make up his mind to rush around to the door to go to her assistance, she saw him, and throwing out her left hand in his direction, she exclaimed:—­

“Oh, hold me, please.”

Instantly Ralph put out his long arm, and caught her by the hand.

“Thank you,” said Miss Dora.  “In another moment she would have pulled me into the dirt.  Perhaps now I can make her walk up on the clean straw.  Come, come,” she continued persuasively to the mare, which, however, obstinately declined to advance.

“Let go of her, I beg of you, Miss Bannister,” cried Ralph.  “It will hurt you to be pulled on two sides in this way.”

Dora was a strong young girl, and so far the pulling had not hurt her at all.  In fact, she liked it, at least on one side.

“Oh, I couldn’t think of letting her go,” she replied, “after all the trouble you have had in catching her.  The gate is open, and in a minute she would be out in the field again.  If she will only make a few steps forward, I am sure I can hold her until you come out.  If you would draw me in a little bit, Mr. Haverley, perhaps she would follow.”