l by the way that thar oak turns its leaves. It's a
bad sign, and if thar ain't a-shiftin' 'fore mornin', we're likely to
hev a spell."

Nicholas agreed.

"There hasn't been much rainfall lately," he added. "I reckon it has
come at last and for a long stretch." His eyes swept the western
horizon, where the clouds hung heavily above the pines.

"Yo' pa got his crops in?"

"Pretty much. The peanuts were harvested after the last frost."

"He ain't had much luck this year, I hear."

Nicholas shook his head.

"No less than usual. Last year he lost the brindle cow that was
calving. This season the mare died."

"Well, well! He never was much for luck, nohow. Seems like he worked too
hard to have Providence on his side. I allers said that Providence had
ruther you'd leave a share of the business to Him. Got through school
yet?"

"Yes; I'm reading law."

"Reading what?"

"I am going to study law in the judge's office--Judge Bassett, you
know."

"So you can keep a tongue in yo' head when those plagued cusses come
'bout the mortgage?"

"So I can take cases to court and earn a living."

"Why don't you stick to the land and make yo' bread honest?"

"The law's honest."

Turner shook his hairy head.

"It cheated me out o' twelve bushels of 'taters las' year," he said.
"Don't tell me 'bout yo' law. I know it."

Nicholas laughed.

"Come to me when I've set up, if you get in trouble," he rejoined, "and
I'll get you out."

The cow gave a lunge at the ropes, and the farmer went on his way. When
the man and cow had passed from sight Nicholas stopped and laughed
again. He wondered if he could be really of one flesh and blood with
these people--of one stuff and fibre. What had he in common with his own
father--hard-working, heavy-handed Amos Burr? No, he was not of them and
he had never been.

He had turned from the main road into the wood, when a girl on
horseback dashed suddenly towards him from the gray perspective. She was
riding rapidly, her short skirts flying, her hair blown darkly across
her face. A brown-and-white pointer ran at her side.

As she caught sight of Nicholas she half rose in her saddle, giving a
loud, clear call.

"Hello, Nick Burr! Hello!"

Nicholas stood aside and waited for her to come up, which she did in a
moment, panting from her exercise, her face flushing into a glowing
heat.

"I was looking for you," she said, waving a small willow spray in her
brown hand. "I went by the farm