big trouble, you know?”
“Of course I know,” Estelle said quickly. “I have taken care of my horse when he was sick. Sometimes it’s not pretty, either. Just last year, before the vet could treat him, he even threw up on me. It was awful, but he is my horse, you know, and I care for him like a child.” Suddenly, Estelle changed the subject. “What was that you were talking with Stevie and Carole about?” she asked.
“Oh, they were explaining what happened yesterday, why they missed The Club meeting at TD’s.”
“Club? What is The Club?” Estelle asked.
Lisa had never spoken about the Club to anybody else. It wasn’t exactly a secret. It just had always been more like a name for her friendship with Stevie and Carole, and until the rules had come along, that’s really all it had been. Now Estelle wanted to know about it, and suddenly Lisa was terribly afraid Estelle would think it was silly.
“Well, we call it The Saddle Club,” she explained. “It’s sort of silly, I guess.” That’s all she could think to say.
“But what do you
do
?” Estelle asked insistently.
What did they do? Lisa asked herself. Until she’d written the rules she really would not have been able to answer that question, but now that there were rules,and they had been passed—sort of—she could answer it—sort of.
“Well, we have meetings once a week or so, like yesterday afternoon, only since it was just me, it wasn’t much of a meeting. But we plan projects, and help each other, and talk about horses, you know?”
“Oh, it sounds wonderful!” Estelle said. “You know, Lisa, it hasn’t been easy for me, being new in America, to meet people and make friends. But a club like
that
… how many members are there in this club?”
“Well, just the three of us so far,” Lisa told her.
“Three? Only three? Well, that’s too bad, then,” Estelle said.
Before Lisa could ask her why it was too bad, the bell sounded, signaling them to get ready for the next class. Estelle stood up quickly. “I must go see Max right away,” she announced. “I will not ride Nero this afternoon.
Adieu
.” She walked off toward Max’s office.
L ATE THAT AFTERNOON , as soon as drill class was over, Lisa untacked Pepper, gave him something to eat and drink, and went in search of Stevie and Carole. Unlike the day before, she found them right away. Carole was already in Delilah’s stall, carefully grooming her.
“Ready for the meeting?” Lisa asked.
“You bet,” Carole said. “I still need to make up a batch of Delilah’s special mash, but that’ll just take me a few minutes. You and Stevie go on ahead. Don’t wait for me. I’ll join you at Stevie’s, okay?”
“Sure,” Lisa agreed. “Know where Stevie is?”
“I think she’s having a serious talk with Nickel. She can’t get that poor pony to do anything she wants him to.”
“I’ll go cheer her on,” Lisa said. “See you in a little while.” Lisa jogged over to Nickel’s stall. There she saw Stevie holding a mangled drum majorette’s baton.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
“Depends on your point of view,” Stevie said. “Nickel, for instance, thinks it’s dinner, since he already had a piece of it for lunch.”
Stevie looked so serious that Lisa couldn’t help laughing. “You’re funny, you know that?”
“Boy, I wish it were funny,” Stevie said. “This old guy is supposed to be the backbone of the pony-game team, and I’m having a heck of a time convincing him to have any fun.”
“If anybody can do it, you can,” Lisa said encouragingly. “And speaking of having some fun, Carole said we should go along to your house ahead of her. She has to make the special mash for Delilah and will be a couple of minutes late.”
“You all ready to go now?” Stevie asked.
“Yup.”
“I’ve got to finish up here first. It’ll be about ten minutes. I’ll meet you in the tack room, okay?”
Lisa had an idea. “Since you and Carole are
“Of course I know,” Estelle said quickly. “I have taken care of my horse when he was sick. Sometimes it’s not pretty, either. Just last year, before the vet could treat him, he even threw up on me. It was awful, but he is my horse, you know, and I care for him like a child.” Suddenly, Estelle changed the subject. “What was that you were talking with Stevie and Carole about?” she asked.
“Oh, they were explaining what happened yesterday, why they missed The Club meeting at TD’s.”
“Club? What is The Club?” Estelle asked.
Lisa had never spoken about the Club to anybody else. It wasn’t exactly a secret. It just had always been more like a name for her friendship with Stevie and Carole, and until the rules had come along, that’s really all it had been. Now Estelle wanted to know about it, and suddenly Lisa was terribly afraid Estelle would think it was silly.
“Well, we call it The Saddle Club,” she explained. “It’s sort of silly, I guess.” That’s all she could think to say.
“But what do you
do
?” Estelle asked insistently.
What did they do? Lisa asked herself. Until she’d written the rules she really would not have been able to answer that question, but now that there were rules,and they had been passed—sort of—she could answer it—sort of.
“Well, we have meetings once a week or so, like yesterday afternoon, only since it was just me, it wasn’t much of a meeting. But we plan projects, and help each other, and talk about horses, you know?”
“Oh, it sounds wonderful!” Estelle said. “You know, Lisa, it hasn’t been easy for me, being new in America, to meet people and make friends. But a club like
that
… how many members are there in this club?”
“Well, just the three of us so far,” Lisa told her.
“Three? Only three? Well, that’s too bad, then,” Estelle said.
Before Lisa could ask her why it was too bad, the bell sounded, signaling them to get ready for the next class. Estelle stood up quickly. “I must go see Max right away,” she announced. “I will not ride Nero this afternoon.
Adieu
.” She walked off toward Max’s office.
L ATE THAT AFTERNOON , as soon as drill class was over, Lisa untacked Pepper, gave him something to eat and drink, and went in search of Stevie and Carole. Unlike the day before, she found them right away. Carole was already in Delilah’s stall, carefully grooming her.
“Ready for the meeting?” Lisa asked.
“You bet,” Carole said. “I still need to make up a batch of Delilah’s special mash, but that’ll just take me a few minutes. You and Stevie go on ahead. Don’t wait for me. I’ll join you at Stevie’s, okay?”
“Sure,” Lisa agreed. “Know where Stevie is?”
“I think she’s having a serious talk with Nickel. She can’t get that poor pony to do anything she wants him to.”
“I’ll go cheer her on,” Lisa said. “See you in a little while.” Lisa jogged over to Nickel’s stall. There she saw Stevie holding a mangled drum majorette’s baton.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
“Depends on your point of view,” Stevie said. “Nickel, for instance, thinks it’s dinner, since he already had a piece of it for lunch.”
Stevie looked so serious that Lisa couldn’t help laughing. “You’re funny, you know that?”
“Boy, I wish it were funny,” Stevie said. “This old guy is supposed to be the backbone of the pony-game team, and I’m having a heck of a time convincing him to have any fun.”
“If anybody can do it, you can,” Lisa said encouragingly. “And speaking of having some fun, Carole said we should go along to your house ahead of her. She has to make the special mash for Delilah and will be a couple of minutes late.”
“You all ready to go now?” Stevie asked.
“Yup.”
“I’ve got to finish up here first. It’ll be about ten minutes. I’ll meet you in the tack room, okay?”
Lisa had an idea. “Since you and Carole are
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