Matters being thus arranged, we took leave of Mr. and Mrs. Hayward, and this on my part with a sad heart. For in the years I had made my home with them they had been very tender and kind to me, and because of it I had grown to love them, more, indeed, than I thought till the hour of parting came. When we reached Appletop we stopped at Uncle Job’s on our way to the Dragon. Tears filled his eyes as he read and re-read Aunt Jane’s sad letter. "Poor woman! You will go to her, Gilbert?" he said at last. "Yes; and I am glad you think I should," I answered. "Of course; but when do you think of starting?" he asked. "To-day if I can get off." "That is prompt," he answered, as if pleased that I should respond so quickly to her request. "How will you make the journey, do you think?" "By boat, if there is one, and if not, across the country. I would like the last best, though." "There will be no boat till to-morrow night, and then not surely," he answered, after a moment’s thought. "That is too long to wait, and a good horse will carry me as soon or sooner than I could go the other way." "You must not go alone," he replied. "I would be glad to go if I could get away, but as I can’t, how would Fox do?" "We had thought of him," Constance spoke up. "Then you have talked it over?" Uncle Job asked. "Yes; it is not safe for him to go alone, and that is the way we happened to speak of it." "Fox will be a good companion, and more agreeable than I," Uncle Job answered, pleasantly. "You know that is not so, uncle," I answered, "for I should like no one so well as you." "Well, it is nice of you to say so, anyway; but if you are to start to-day you must be off, and while you are looking up Fox I will get the dapple-gray mare in shape for you." "The mare!" I answered, surprised at the reference. "Will you let me take her?" "Yes; and if you will accept the gift, I shall be glad to give her to you. I have been intending to do it for a long time," he answered, smiling. "I know that, for I have heard him say so before, Gilbert," Aunt Betty here interposed, and as if pleased at what her husband proposed. "Thank you," I answered; "there is nothing in the world you could give me that would please me half so much"; for since the night I rode her to Appletop I thought her the finest animal in all the world.