that travel
alone, an' all that sort o' thing, ain't ye? I reckon your folks has
got plenty of confidence in ye."

Janice laughed again, and drew her campstool to the old lady's side.

"I was never fifty miles away from home before," she confessed, "and I
never was away from my father over night until I started East two days
ago."

"Then ye ain't got no mother, child?"

"Mother died when I was a very little girl. Father has been everything
to me--just everything!" and for a moment the bright, young face
clouded and the hazel eyes swam in unshed tears. But she turned
quickly so that her new acquaintance might not see them.

"Where are you goin', my dear?" asked the old lady, more softly.

"To Poketown. And oh! I do hope it will be a nice, lively place, for
maybe I'll have to remain there a long time--months and months!"

"For the land's sake!" exclaimed the old lady, nodding her head briskly
over the knitting needles. "So be I goin' to Poketown."

"Are you, really?" ejaculated Janice Day, clasping her hands eagerly,
and turning to her new acquaintance. "Isn't that nice! Then you can
tell me just what Poketown is like. I've got to stay there with my
uncle while father is in Mexico----"

"Who's your uncle, child?" demanded the old lady, quickly. "And who's
your father?"

Janice naturally answered the last question first, for her heart was
full of her father and her separation from him. "Mr. Broxton Day is my
father, and he used to live in Poketown. But he came away from there a
long, long time ago."

"Yes? I knowed there was Days in Poketown; but I ain't been there
myself for goin' on twelve year. I lived there a year, or so, arter my
man died, with my darter. She's teached the Poketown school for twenty
year."

"Oh!" cried Janice. "Then you can't really tell me what Poketown is
like--now?"

"Why, it's quite a town, I b'lieve," said the old lady. "'Rill writes
me thet the _ho_-tel's jest been painted, and there's a new blacksmith
shop built. You goin' to school there-- What did you say your name
was?"

"Janice Day. I don't know whether I shall go to school while I am in
Poketown, or not. If there are a whole lot of nice girls--and a few
nice boys--who go to your daughter's school, I shall certainly want to
go, too," continued Janice, smiling again at the little old lady.

"Wal, 'Rill Scattergood's teached long enough, I tell her," declared
the other. "I'm goin' to Poketown now mor