es as she greeted them; for in that region, nearly all had
feelings of kinship for their neighbours and friends, and in that day
and time, people were not ashamed of their emotions.

"Margaret Gaither has come back," remarked Mr. Sanders. "Ab fetched her
in his hack."

"Well, the poor creetur'!" exclaimed Mrs. Absalom; "they say she's had
trouble piled on her house-high."

"She won't have much more in this world ef looks is any sign," Mr.
Sanders replied. "She ain't nothin' but a livin' skeleton, but she's got
a mighty lively gal."

The waggon moved on and left Mrs. Absalom leaning on the gate, a
position that she kept for some little time. Farther down the road,
Gabriel, whose example was followed by Cephas, bade Mr. Sanders
good-bye, nodded lightly to Francis Bethune, and jumped from the waggon.

"Wait a moment, Tolliver," said Bethune. "I want you to come to see
me--and bring Cephas with you. I am going to make you like me if I can.
The home folks have been writing great things about you. Oh, you _must_
come," he insisted, seeing that Gabriel was hesitating. "I want to show
you what a good fellow I can be when I try right hard."

"Yes, you boys must come," said Mr. Sanders; "an' ef Frank is off
courtin' that new gal--I ketched him cuttin' his eye at her--you can
hunt me up, an' I'll tell you some old-time tales that'll make your hair
stan' on end."

CHAPTER FIVE

_The Story of Margaret Gaither_

Gabriel and Cephas started toward their homes, which lay in the same
direction. Instead of going around by road or street, they cut across
the fields and woods. Before they had gone very far, they heard a
rustling, swishing sound in the pine-thicket through which they were
passing, but gave it little attention, both being used to the noises
common to the forest. In their minds it was either a rabbit or a grey
fox scuttling away; or a poree scratching in the bushes, or a
ground-squirrel running in the underbrush.

But a moment later, Nan Dorrington, followed by Tasma Tid, burst from
the pine-thicket, crying, "Oh, you walk so fast, you two!" She was
panting and laughing, and as she stood before the lads, one little hand
at her throat, and the other vainly trying to control her flying hair, a
delicious rosiness illuminating her face, Gabriel knew that he had just
been doing her a gross injustice. As he walked along the path, followed
by his faithful Cephas, he had been mentally comparing her to a young
woman