ound the
foot of it to the south and west.

"Why!" exclaimed Miss Clara, "there comes David. I haven't seen him this
summer."

They halted and David drew up, winding the reins about the whipstock and
pulling off his buckskin glove.

"How do you do, Mr. Harum?" said the girl, putting her hand in his.

"How air ye, Miss Claricy? Glad to see ye agin," he said. "I'm settin'
up a little ev'ry day now, an' you don't look as if you was off your
feed much, eh?"

"No," she replied, laughing, "I'm in what you call pretty fair
condition, I think."

"Wa'al, I reckon," he said, looking at her smiling face with the
frankest admiration. "Guess you come out a little finer ev'ry season,
don't ye? Hard work to keep ye out o' the 'free-fer-all' class, I guess.
How's all the folks?"

"Nicely, thanks," she replied.

"That's right," said David.

"How is Mrs. Bixbee?" she inquired.

"Wa'al," said David with a grin, "I ben a little down in the mouth
lately 'bout Polly--seems to be fallin' away some--don't weigh much more
'n I do, I guess;" but Miss Clara only laughed at this gloomy report.

"How is my horse Kirby?" she asked.

"Wa'al, the ole bag-o'-bones is breathin' yet," said David, chuckling,
"but he's putty well wore out--has to lean up agin the shed to whicker.
Guess I'll have to sell ye another putty soon now. Still, what the' is
left of him 's 's good 's ever 't will be, an' I'll send him up in the
mornin'." He looked from Miss Clara to John, whose salutation he had
acknowledged with the briefest of nods.

"How'd you ketch _him_?" he asked, indicating our friend with a motion
of his head. "Had to go after him with a four-quart measure, didn't ye?
or did he let ye corner him?"

"Mr. Euston caught him for me," she said, laughing, but coloring
perceptibly, while John's face grew very red. "I think I will run on and
join my sister, and Mr. Lenox can drive home with you. Good bye, Mr.
Harum. I shall be glad to have Kirby whenever it is convenient. We shall
be glad to see you at Lakelawn," she said to John cordially, "whenever
you can come;" and taking her prayer book and hymnal from him, she sped
away.

"Look at her git over the ground," said David, turning to watch her
while John got into the buggy. "Ain't that a gait?"

"She is a charming girl," said John as old Jinny started off.

"She's the one I told you about that run off with my hoss," remarked
David, "an' I alwus look after him fer her in the winter."

"Yes,