"Allee Greenfield, do I ever fool you?"
"N—o, you never have."
"And I ain't beginning now. That is just what this book says."
"But horses don't talk!"
"Only at Christmas time."
"I don't b'lieve they do then. Did you ever hear them!"
"N—o, but I'm going to stay up tonight and listen."
"Oh, we can't. This is party night and what would grandma say?"
"We'll never know if they talk unless we do stay up and listen—and I'd like to find out what they say. It's just at midnight. That ain't long. We go to bed at eight, and midnight is only twelve o'clock. We could stay awake easily till then, 'cause the people who are invited will be leaving just about that time. I heard grandma say so. We'll just skip away to the barn and see if Duke and Charley are talking, and then we'll come back before anyone knows we're gone."
The plan was truly very fascinating, but Allee still looked very doubtful, and after a silent moment Peace broke out in an aggrieved tone, "I don't see what is the matter with you, Allee. You are getting to be just like Cherry. She always sets down on my plans. You won't help me hang up the wheat for the Swedes or listen to the Irish horses. You never used to be like that."