e Opie an offer for the Opal Farm?"

"Good enough! but what for?" exclaimed Bart, nearly exposing a very
poor hand.

"How splendid!" I cried, checking an impulse to throw my arms around his
neck so suddenly that I shied my cards across the room--"Then the meadow
need never be cut again!"

"What a preposterous idea! Did he accept the offer?" jerked Maria
Maxwell, with a certain eagerness.

_The Man's_ face, already of a healthy outdoor hue, took a deeper colour
above the outline of his closely cropped black beard, which he declined
to shave, in spite of prevailing custom.

"I'm afraid my popularity as a neighbour is a minor quality, when even
my Lady Lazy makes it evident that her enthusiasm is for meadow weeds
and not myself!"

"When would you live there?" asked practical Bart.

"All the time, when I'm not elsewhere!" said _The Man_. "No, seriously,
I want permanent headquarters, a house to keep my traps in, and it can
easily be somewhat remodelled and made comfortable. I want to own a
resting-place for the soles of my feet when they are tired, and is it
strange that I should pitch my tent near two good friends?"

It was a good deal for _The Man_ to say, and instantly there was
hand-shaking and back-clapping between Bart and himself, and the game
became hopelessly mixed.

As for Maria, she as nearly sniffed audibly at the idea as a well-bred
woman could. It is strange, I had almost fancied during the course of
the past month, and especially this evening, that _The Man's_ glance,
when toward her, held a special approval of a different variety than it
carried to Bart and me! If Maria is going to worry him, she shall go
back to her flat! I've often heard Bart say that men's feelings are very
woundable at forty, while at twenty-five a hurt closes up like water
after a pebble has been dropped in it.

* * * * *

Yes, Maria _has_ been rude to _The Man_, and in my house, too, where she
represents me! Anastasia told me! I suppose I really ought not to have
listened, but it was all over before I realized what she was saying.

"Yes, mem, for all Miss Marie do be fixed out, so tasty and pleasant
like to everybody, and so much chicked up by the country air, she's no
notion o' beaus or of troubling wid the men!"

"What do you mean, Anastasia?" said I, in perfect innocence. "Of course
Miss Maria is not a young girl to go gadding about!"

"It's not gadding I mean, mem, but here on the por