YOURS WITH ALL MY HEART 



And there he was, sure enough ! one of 

 the most worried, anxious-looking doggies, 

 sitting dangerously close behind the smith, 

 and anxiously watching "The Shoeing of 

 the Bay Mare." He never winked, he 

 watched his every move so closely for fear 

 he would drive a nail too deep, or burn her 

 faithful foot with a red-hot shoe; but I 

 bow-wowed right out loud at him, for I 

 thought it was old Nellie, and mamma had 

 to hush me. 



Then grand old castle walls and stone 

 towers and creeping ivy came out through 

 the dusky beams and the red light of the 

 forge, and the saddest steed we ever saw 

 stood in the castle yard. He hung his head 

 so low and crouched as if to pray the earth 

 to open and take him in. He couldn't 

 speak in words, but he told us just the same: 



"My heart is breaking for him and for 

 her, for I come back riderless." Then we 

 looked up and saw that another heart was 

 breaking too, for a lovely lady on the bal- 

 cony above, waiting to meet somebody she 

 loved, was reeling backward, fainting, at 

 sight of the "Empty Saddle." 



Then the poor mourning steed's head 

 172 



