THE GREAT STABLE OP THE NORTH. 9 



" Walk in, Puffy Doddles," responded the smiling, rosy- 

 cheeked, matronly-looking dame, answering the summons ; 

 and, feeling himself quite up to the mark in being able to 

 conform to the request, without altercation or impediment, 

 Puffy Doddles did as he was requested, and, accordingly, 

 walked in. 



"The master will be here presently," said the matronly- 

 looking dame, in a combined tone and manner which may 

 • fairly be described as pleasant in the extreme. " Sit ye down, 

 my lad." 



Obeying the instructions with an abrupt movement, Puffy 

 Doddles dropped upon the surface of a chair, and being forth- 

 with left alone in the apartment into which he had been 

 ushered, began to while away the moments as they flew by, 

 surveying some of the contents therein. 



The mirror- like polish of the dark mahogany table standing 

 directly before him reflected his countenance to the particular 

 of a minute pimple on his nose, and presented presumptive 

 evidence that the housewife of the establishment maintained a 

 strong opinion about polish, which the legs and backs of the 

 chairs fully corroborated. Then the numerous portraits of 

 racehorses, suspended in neatly-gilt frames, protected from dust 

 and the trespassing of flies through the transparent medium 

 of muslin, proved that the table and chairs possessed no 

 monopoly in the care bestowed upon them or their polish. 

 But that which drew the particular attention of Puffy Doddles, 

 and fixed his eyes in a way commonly called " riveted," was a 

 jockey's black silk jacket, with yellow sleeves and cap, placed 

 under a glass shade in the centre of the dark mahogany 

 table, with a card on which was written, "The Great St. 

 Leger, 185—." 



As if fascinated by the object upon which he gazed, Puffy 

 Doddles continued to examine the colours under the glass shade 

 with a depth of interest scarcely fathomable, and learning their 

 history from the few brief words referring to the particular 



