alf as beautiful, and I know there aren't any as sociable. They
were always so." He sighed gently, and Miss Sherwood fancied his wife
must have found the Indiana skies as lovely as he had, in the days of
long ago. "Seems to me they _are_ the softest and bluest and kindest in
the world."

"I think they are," said Helen, "and they are more beautiful than the
'Italian skies,' though I doubt if many of us Hoosiers realize it;
and--certainly no one else does."

The old man leaned over and patted her hand. Harkless gasped. "'Us
Hoosiers!'" chuckled the judge. "You're a great Hoosier, young lady! How
much of your life have you spent in the State? 'Us Hoosiers!'"

"But I'm going to be a good one," she answered, gaily, "and if I'm good
enough, when I grow up maybe I'll be a great one."

The buckboard had been brought around, and the four young people climbed
in, Harkless driving. Before they started, the judge, standing on the
horse-block in front of the gate, leaned over and patted Miss Sherwood's
hand again. Harkless gathered up the reins.

"You'll make a great Hoosier, all right," said the old man, beaming upon
the girl. "You needn't worry about that, I guess, my dear."

When he said "my dear," Harkless spoke to the horses.

"Wait," said the judge, still holding the girl's hand. "You'll make a
great Hoosier, some day; don't fret. You're already a very beautiful
one." Then he bent his white head and kissed her, gallantly. John said:
"Good afternoon, judge"; the whip cracked like a pistol-shot, and the
buckboard dashed off in a cloud of dust.

"Every once in a while, Harkless," the old fellow called after them,
"you must remember to look at the team."

The enormous white tent was filled with a hazy yellow light, the warm,
dusty, mellow light that thrills the rejoicing heart because it is
found nowhere in the world except in the tents of a circus--the
canvas-filtered sunshine and sawdust atmosphere of show day. Through the
entrance the crowd poured steadily, coming from the absorptions of
the wild-animal tent to feast upon greater wonders; passing around the
sawdust ellipse that contained two soul-cloying rings, to find seats
whence they might behold the splendors so soon to be unfolded. Every one
who was not buying the eternal lemonade was eating something; and the
faces of children shone with gourmand rapture; indeed, very often the
eyes of them were all you saw, half-closed in palate-gloating over a
huge apple, or a