back to the
old man's cabin, two hundred yards up the road, answering his questions
but not Hale's and never meeting the latter's eyes with her own. "Ole
Hon," the portly old woman whom Hale remembered, with brass-rimmed
spectacles and a clay pipe in her mouth, came out on the porch and
welcomed them heartily under the honeysuckle vines. Her mouth and face
were alive with humour when she saw Hale, and her eyes took in both him
and the little girl keenly. The miller and Hale leaned chairs against
the wall while the girl sat at the entrance of the porch. Suddenly Hale
went out to his horse and took out a package from his saddle-pockets.

"I've got some candy in here for you," he said smiling.

"I don't want no candy," she said, still not looking at him and with a
little movement of her knees away from him.

"Why, honey," said Uncle Billy again, "whut IS the matter with ye? I
thought ye was great friends." The little girl rose hastily.

"No, we ain't, nuther," she said, and she whisked herself indoors. Hale
put the package back with some embarrassment and the old miller laughed.

"Well, well--she's a quar little critter; mebbe she's mad because you
stayed away so long."

At the table June wanted to help ole Hon and wait to eat with her, but
Uncle Billy made her sit down with him and Hale, and so shy was she that
she hardly ate anything. Once only did she look up from her plate and
that was when Uncle Billy, with a shake of his head, said:

"He's a bad un." He was speaking of Rufe Tolliver, and at the mention of
his name there was a frightened look in the little girl's eyes, when she
quickly raised them, that made Hale wonder.

An hour later they were riding side by side--Hale and June--on through
the lights and shadows toward Lonesome Cove. Uncle Billy turned back
from the gate to the porch.

"He ain't come back hyeh jes' fer coal," said ole Hon.

"Shucks!" said Uncle Billy; "you women-folks can't think 'bout nothin'
'cept one thing. He's too old fer her."

"She'll git ole enough fer HIM--an' you menfolks don't think less--you
jes' talk less." And she went back into the kitchen, and on the porch
the old miller puffed on a new idea in his pipe.

For a few minutes the two rode in silence and not yet had June lifted
her eyes to him.

"You've forgotten me, June."

"No, I hain't, nuther."

"You said you'd be waiting for me." June's lashes went lower still.

"I was."

"Well, what's the matter? I'm mighty sor