r most uneasily, and finally laid down his
head on his folded arms on the table. Faith was the first to speak.

"Mr. Simlins, who takes care of you?"

"Ugh!" (a most unintelligible grunt,) "they all do it by turns--Jenny
and all of 'em."

"What have you had for dinner to-day?"

"Didn't want anything!" He sat up and brushed his cloak sleeve across
his forehead.

"Mr. Simlins, I shall send you down something from home and you must
eat it."

"The doctor said I was to take wine--but I haint thought of it to-day."

"Where is it?"

He nodded his head in the direction of the cupboard. Faith went
rummaging, poured him out a glass and brought it.

"You see," said he after he had taken it--"I've been pretty well pulled
down--I didn't know--one time--which side of the fence I was goin'
over--and I didn't see the ground on the other side. I don't know why I
should be ashamed to say I was afeard!"--There was a strong, stern,
truth-telling about this speech that thrilled his hearer. She sat down
again.

"You had best take some yourself," he said. "Do Faith!"

"No sir--I'm going. I must go," she answered rising to make ready.

It was strange how the door could have opened and she not heard
it--neither she nor Mr. Simlins in fact,--perhaps because their minds
were so far away. That the incoming steps were unheard was not so
strange, nor new, but the first thing of which Faith was conscious was
the soft touch of a hand on either side of her face--she was a
prisoner. Faith's instant spring to one side brought her face to face
with everybody. Mr. Simlins looked from one to the other, and his first
remark was characteristically addressed to Faith.

"Why you didn't tell me that!"

"Has she told you everything _but_ that?" said Mr. Linden smiling, and
giving the farmer's hand good token of his presence.

"Where under the sun did you come from?" said the farmer returning his
grasp with interest, and looking at Mr. Linden as if indeed one of the
lights of the solar system had been out before his arrival. Faith sat
down mutely and as quietly as possible behind Mr. Linden.

"From under the sun very literally just now--before that from under a
shower. I have been down to Quapaw, then home to Mrs. Derrick's, then
here. Mr. Simlins, I am sorry to see that you are nursing yourself
instead of me. What is the matter?"

"I'd as lieves be doin' this, of the two," said the farmer with a stray
smile. "There aint much the matter. How