"Miss Jack-o'-lantern," said a voice at the window; and she looked around with a start.
It was only a neighbor's cow-boy—a good-natured, ignorant negro lad, who had converted her odd name of Jaquelina into "Jack-o'-lantern."
"Well," she said, "what do you want, Sambo? Why do you come to the window and frighten me so?"
"I'm in a hurry, if you please, Miss Jack," said the lad. "Is your uncle at home?"
"Yes—at dinner," said the girl.
"Master sent me over to see if Mr. Meredith and his man would jine a party to hunt the horse-thieves to-night," said Sambo. "Squire Stanley's headin' it; his stable was robbed last night."
Jaquelina went into the kitchen with her message, and Mr. Meredith came out himself.
"Tell your master I'll be going over to the Grange meeting this afternoon, and I'll stop by and make arrangements to join them in the hunt," he said.
He finished his dinner and started.
The idea of the thief-hunt so inspired the plowman that he begged to be excused from working the balance of the day, and went away full of enthusiasm to join the gallant band of pursuers.