All the other girls envied Helen her “Beauty,” except the “Little Captain,” now rapidly developing into an excellent scholar, and with her love of learning increasing all the time. She was ambitious to be that “star”—at the top not bottom of the school—and all the energy of her ardent nature was put into this work. The result of this was that, despite all prescribed rules for exercise and recreation, Jessica grew thin and somewhat careworn.
Ephraim was swift to observe this and to devise some plan for remedying it. He could think of nothing better than to send home to the “boys” for the “finest four-footed creatur’ in all Paraiso d’Oro.” So he wrote, as follows:—
“The head girl to our ‘Lady’s’ school has been give as purty a brute as ever I laid eyes on, and ‘Little Captain’s’ has got to beat it. Now, Samson and John Benton, you put your heads together and finish up the job and express the creatur’ ’long, double quick. Our girl isn’t going to be down-sot, in the matter of horse-flesh, by any trumpery New Yorker, and you see to it. There’s horses here, course, and good ones; but no beast that hasn’t breathed the superfine air of Californy is fit for our ‘Lady.’ Mum’s the word till I get your telegrapht that ‘Sobrante’ has arrived, and then I’ll put in my full share of the bill. I’m getting a new ‘livery’ made, same as Madam Dalrymple had me wear and ’t made me feel such a fool, first time. But if I’m to be ‘groom’ to anybody, at my time of life, and it’ll make things a mite nicer for my girl, I’ll wear it, smiling.
“I’ve hung around that riding-school where they’re tryin’ to teach Jessie what she’s known always, and I’ve made friends with the work folks. More’n that, ‘Little Lady’ has pointed me out to the master as her teacher at Sobrante, and he spoke to me as slick as molasses. Said I’d a pupil to be proud of and I ’lowed I had. Then, ’cause she was so pleased to have me ’round, he up and asked me to ride with his classes in the Park, whenever I had a mind. And don’t you doubt but that’ll be every time they go out, soon’s I learn what days it will be. And I cast an observin’ eye on the outfit of his ‘assistants’ and I’m getting my own to match. I cal’late the next thing he’ll be doing will be to ask me to help ‘assist,’ and that’ll be something worth while. ’Twon’t be on account of wages, neither, but just for the honor of Californy, to show him how an eighty-year-old can sit a horse, rheumatiz or nothing.
“So, don’t let no grass grow under that horse’s hoofs till he’s shipped direct; and take it to your hearts that you’ll be doing the square thing by the girl we all love if you ’tend to this here business with neatness and despatch.
“Yours, till death and his exile ends,
“Ephraim Marsh.”
It was but a little more than two weeks later that, on a certain Thursday, “between four and six,” Jessica had a visitor.
The liveried colored man who admitted the stranger had doubts as to whether he should have done so, since the caller also wore a livery, though one not adorned by brass buttons.
However, Ephraim marched boldly in and selecting a chair which commanded the entrance sat down to wait with what patience he could till Miss Trent should appear. Other visitors were there, in the great room, and other pupils; all casting rather amused glances toward “Forty-niner” and wondering how such a social blunder had been permitted as his admission into those exclusive precincts. Possibly, the old man might have been abashed, had he observed these glances, but he did not. He saw nothing, heard nothing, till a beloved footstep sounded swiftly through the hall, and at a pace less decorous than Madame liked, Jessica came bounding into the room.
“O, you darling Ephraim! you did come at last, didn’t you! How dear of you! And you see it isn’t bad. Now you’ll come every Thursday won’t you? But—but, Ephy! How funny you look! Why have you got such a queer, brown suit? Riding boots, leggings,—you’re exactly like one of the grooms at the academy. What notion possessed you? But never mind. I’m so glad, so glad to have you; and I would be even in your old overalls from the gardening last summer.”