ted to more pleasant subjects than home affairs.

It had been a dreary, disheartening ride, and yet it had had its
compensations, for was not the rider young and the earth filled with the
freshness of spring? The short and tender grass bordered the road to the
very wheel-ruts; the meadow larks sang regardless of the rain, or mayhap
in sheer meadow-lark delight because of it. To the south a prairie chicken
drummed, and a cow called to her calf, whose reply came from a point still
farther in the distance. At the sound of the cow's lowing Elizabeth
Farnshaw peered delightedly through mists.

"I knew it couldn't be much farther, Patsie," she said, leaning forward
and patting the neck of the dripping horse. Little spurts of water flew
spatteringly from under the affectionate palm, and Elizabeth shook her
bare hand to free it from the wet hairs which adhered to it, laughing at
her rainsoaked condition.

It was indeed a time for seeking shelter.

Presently the rattle of a chain was heard nearby, then the outlines of a
straw stable were seen, and from the foreground of mist a man appeared
unhitching a team of horses from a large farm wagon. Patsie gave a little
nicker of anticipation as she scented the sacks of oats, carefully
covered, in the back of the wagon. The old man rose from his stooping
position in unfastening the tugs and faced the newcomer.

"Why, it's Miss Farnshaw! Gee whiz! Be you a duck t' be out on such a day
as this?" he inquired, stepping forward when he saw that she was coming
in. Then chuckling at his own humour, he added:

"I guess you be a goslin'--a goslin' bein' a young goose, you know."

Elizabeth Farnshaw laughed. "But my feathers aren't turning the rain, Mr.
Chamberlain." It was the second time within the hour that she had been
reminded that women were not expected to go out of doors in a rainstorm.

"That's because you're such a young goose, you know; you ain't got no
feathers yet, it's only down."

"Fairly caught!" she replied, backing her horse around so that the rain
would come from behind, "Tell me, does the school board meet to-night?"

"Oh, ho!" the farmer replied, "that's th' way th' wind blows, is it? Now
look here, young lady, if you be as prompt in lickin' them youngsters in
season an' out o' season as you be in lookin' up schools I guess You'll
do. Yes, sir-ee, th' school board meets to-night an' you jes' come t' th'
house an' have a bite t' eat an' we'll see what we can do for yo