Page:In the Valley (1922).djvu/52

 But the other settled back, loosely, again. "What's the use?" he said.

But Marjorie had raised her hand, motioning to the farmer to stop. "There's something the matter with your harness," she called.

The farmer drew rein. "What's the trouble?" he asked. "I knew that something was wrong. I can't get out to fix it, though."

Marjorie turned to the man on the ground, smiling brightly; "Hurry!" she said; "You can fix it in a minute. You know just how."

The impetus of her eager expectation was so strong that the man seemed to get up without thinking and came over to the horse and laid his hand upon its flank. With the touch of the strong, live muscles, something vital seemed to leap into him, and he straightened up and became taut and interested. With deft fingers he loosened the strap and corrected it; all the time soothing the horse and talking to him as he worked. As he finished, the farmer looked him over quickly. "Want a job?" he asked.

The man hesitated. Marjorie's eyes were shining. "Aren't they wonderful horses!" she said.

"They're good blood," said the farmer; "Not blue blood, but extra good stuff, just the same. I'm trying to break them for farm work, and no one else here can handle them; and they are just about all that I want to manage, myself; but I can't spare the time to be with them all day. I