used to fetch home
gobblers like that.... An' mebbe he'll come home again sometime."

Her husband, Tom Cass, had gone into the forest years before and had
never returned. But the old woman always looked for him and never gave
up hope.

"Men have been lost in the forest an' yet come back," replied Dale, as
he had said to her many a time.

"Come right in. You air hungry, I know. Now, son, when last did you eat
a fresh egg or a flapjack?"

"You should remember," he answered, laughing, as he followed her into a
small, clean kitchen.

"Laws-a'-me! An' thet's months ago," she replied, shaking her gray head.
"Milt, you should give up that wild life--an' marry--an' have a home."

"You always tell me that."

"Yes, an' I'll see you do it yet.... Now you set there, an' pretty soon
I'll give you thet to eat which 'll make your mouth water."

"What's the news, Auntie?" he asked.

"Nary news in this dead place. Why, nobody's been to Snowdrop in two
weeks!... Sary Jones died, poor old soul--she's better off--an' one of
my cows run away. Milt, she's wild when she gits loose in the woods.
An' you'll have to track her, 'cause nobody else can. An' John Dakker's
heifer was killed by a lion, an' Lem Harden's fast hoss--you know his
favorite--was stole by hoss-thieves. Lem is jest crazy. An' that reminds
me, Milt, where's your big ranger, thet you'd never sell or lend?"

"My horses are up in the woods, Auntie; safe, I reckon, from
horse-thieves."

"Well, that's a blessin'. We've had some stock stole this summer, Milt,
an' no mistake."

Thus, while preparing a meal for Dale, the old woman went on recounting
all that had happened in the little village since his last visit. Dale
enjoyed her gossip and quaint philosophy, and it was exceedingly good
to sit at her table. In his opinion, nowhere else could there have been
such butter and cream, such ham and eggs. Besides, she always had apple
pie, it seemed, at any time he happened in; and apple pie was one of
Dale's few regrets while up in the lonely forest.

"How's old Al Auchincloss?" presently inquired Dale.

"Poorly--poorly," sighed Mrs. Cass. "But he tramps an' rides around
same as ever. Al's not long for this world.... An', Milt, that reminds
me--there's the biggest news you ever heard."

"You don't say so!" exclaimed Dale, to encourage the excited old woman.

"Al has sent back to Saint Joe for his niece, Helen Rayner. She's to
inherit all his property. We've heard much o