Clear to pieces!Pretty soon father had to take off his glasses and wipe them so he could see the figures.Mother took one long look at him,a short one at Leon and Shelley,then she arose,her voice as even and smooth,and she said:"While you figure,father,I'll see about supper.I have tried to plan an extra good one this evening."She left the room.NOW,I guess you know about all I can tell you of mother!I can't see that there's a thing left.That was the kind of soldier she was.Talk about Crusaders,and a good fight!All the blood of battle in our family wasn't on father's side,not by any means!The Dutch could fight too!
Father's pencil scraped a little,a bee that had slipped in buzzed over the apple butter,while the clock ticked as if it used a hammer.It was so loud one wanted to pitch it from the window.May and I sat still as mice when the cat is near.
Candace couldn't keep away from the kitchen door to save her,and where mother went I hadn't an idea,but she wasn't getting an extra good supper.Shelley and Leon were quieter now.May nudged me,and I saw that his arm around her was gripping her tight,while her hand on his head was patting him and fingering his hair.
Ca-lumph!Ca-lumph!came the funniest sound right on the stone walk leading to the east door,then a shrill whicker that made father drop his pencil.Leon was on his feet,Shelley beside him,while at the door stood Laddie grinning as if his face would split,and with her forefeet on the step and her nose in the room,stood the prettiest,the very prettiest horse I ever saw.
She was sticking her nose toward Leon,whinnying softly,as she lifted one foot,and if Laddie hadn't backed her,she would have walked right into the dining-room.
"Come on,Weiscope,she's yours!"said Laddie."Take her to the barn,and put her in one of the cow stalls,until we fix a place for her."Leon crossed the room,but he never touched the horse.He threw his arms around Laddie's neck.
"Son!Son!Haven't you let your feelings run away with you?
What does this mean?"asked father sternly.
"There's nothing remarkable in a big six-footer like me buying a horse,"said Laddie."I expect to purchase a number soon,and without a cent to pay,in the bargain.I contracted to give five hundred dollars for this mare.She is worth more;but that should be satisfactory all around.I am going to earn it by putting five of Mr.Pryor's fancy,pedigreed horses in shape for market,taking them personally,and selling them to men fit to own and handle real horses.I get one hundred each,and my expenses for the job.I'll have as much fun doing it as I ever had at anything.It suits me far better than plowing,even."Mother entered the room at a sweep,and pushed Leon aside.
"Oh you man of my heart!"she cried."You man after my own heart!"Laddie bent and kissed her,holding her tight as he looked over her head at father.
"It's all right,of course?"he said.
"I never have known of anything quite so altogether right,"said father."Thank you,lad,and God bless you!"He took Laddie's hand,and almost lifted him from the floor,then he wiped his glasses,gathered up his books with a big,deep breath of relief,and went into his room.If the others had looked to see why he was gone so long,they would have seen him on his knees beside his bed thanking God,as usual.Leon couldn't have come closer than when he said,"The same yesterday,to-day,and forever,"about father.
Leon had his arms around the neck of his horse now,and he was kissing her,patting her,and explaining to Shelley just why no other horse was like her.He was pouring out a jumble all about the oasis of the desert,the tent dwellers,quoting lines from "The Arab to His Horse,"bluegrass,and gentleness combined with spirit,while Shelley had its head between her hands,stroking it and saying,"Yes,"to every word Leon told her.Then he said:
"Just hop on her back from that top step and ride her to the barn,if you want to see the motion she has."Shelley said:"Has a woman ever been on her back?Won't she shy at my skirts?""No,"explained Leon."I've been training her with a horse blanket pinned around me,so Susie could ride her!She'll be all right."So Shelley mounted,and the horse turned her head,and tried to rub against her,as she walked away,tame as a sheep.I wondered if she could be too gentle.If she went "like the wind,"as Leon said,it didn't show then.I was almost crazy to go along,and maybe Leon would let me ride a little while;but I had a question that it would help me to know the answer and I wanted to ask father before I forgot;so I waited until he came out.When he sat down,smiled at me and said,"Well,is the girl happy for brother?"I knew it was a good time,and I could ask anything I chose,so I sat on his knee and said:"Father,when you pray for anything that it's all perfectly right for you to have,does God come down from heaven and do it Himself,or does He send a man like Laddie to do it for him?"Father hugged me tight,smiling the happiest.
"Why,you have the whole thing right there in a nutshell,Little Sister,"he said."You see it's like this:the Book tells us most distinctly that `God is love.'Now it was love that sent Laddie to bind himself for a long,tedious job,to give Leon his horse,wasn't it?""Of course!"I said."He wouldn't have been likely to do it if he hated him.It was love,of course!""Then it was God,"said father,"because `God is love.'They are one and the same thing."Then he kissed me,and THAT was settled.So I wondered when you longed for anything so hard you really felt it was worth bothering God about,whether the quickest way to get it was to ask Him for it,or to try to put a lot of love into the heart of some person who could do what you wanted.I decided it all went back to God though,for most of the time probably we wouldn't know who the right one was to try to awaken love in.I was mighty sure none of us ever dreamed Laddie could walk over to Pryors',and come back with that horse,in a way perfectly satisfactory to every one,slick as an eel.
