BY WILLIAM O. STODDARD.
"No, mother," said Colonel Dunway to his wife, at the breakfast table, "I shall ride the black colt on parade to-day. Hannibal is too fat and too old."
"Too old? He and Barry are just of an age."
"And Barry's only a little colt yet? Well, you may bring him and Prue out to the grand review in the afternoon, but I guess I'll ride the black this morning. You can put Hannibal in the carry-all. Perhaps he'd like to take a look again at a regiment of troops in line."
Barry and Prue listened with all their ears.
They knew there was to be a grand parade of soldiers that day, and they were prouder than they knew how to tell of the fact that their father was to wear a uniform, and ride a horse, and give orders to some of the men.
"Prue," said Barry, "father's going to 'spect them."
"In-speck them," whispered Prue, correcting him. "Nobody else knows how."
That might be, for Colonel Dunway had been an officer of the regular army, and he was now Colonel of a regiment of militia; but there was one thing he had said that puzzled Barry and Prue dreadfully.
"Barry," said Prue, after breakfast, "is Nibble old?"