near any of his former haunts.
He had even refused to drive Miss Eliza to town when on one or two
occasions his services had been required. And he was the only human
being on record who had ever opposed her thus successfully.

But it happened most fortunately in this case, this feeling of his
about town, for he could remain with Miss Asenath and Mandy could go to
the station with Arethusa. Otherwise, she might have had to stay at
home, and this would almost have broken her heart.

Timothy and Timothy's mother and his aunt, who made her home with them,
also drove the six miles 'cross country to the little town of Vandalia
where Arethusa was to take the train, to bid her good-bye. They were
already present when the Farm delegation arrived, as early as it was
when they came, for Timothy wanted as many as possible of these last
moments with Arethusa. His mother had been sure it was far too soon to
start when Timothy called her, but she suffered from a chronic
inability to oppose any of his wishes, even by suggestion, so she had
left her housewifely counting of preserves and pickles without a word
of complaint to go with him.

Miss Letitia became a little tearful in her leave-taking.

"Letting the dear child go off all alone by herself this way for the
very first time!"

For in spite of Miss Eliza's decided and oft loudly expressed
disinclination to have her do so, to Arethusa's unbounded delight, she
was actually going alone.

Thanks to that flight of Elinor and Ross to the seashore, the State
Fair had been only a memory for more than a month. But diligent search
by Miss Eliza, in the way of inquiries at church and when in town, had
discovered a friend who was going to Lewisburg later in the Fall to
shop, and who would be more than glad to take the girl under her wing.
Then almost at the very last moment this promised company was forced to
abandon her trip and Arethusa was left high and dry. The fate of her
Visit trembled in the balance for a few days. Miss Eliza was strongly
inclined to postpone the whole affair until she could arrange things to
go with her niece herself, but she finally gave in to the pleading that
Arethusa was entirely ready. Why should she wear the first freshness
off her outfit before she made this Visit?

But if she was going alone, she was going fully-equipped so far as
advice was concerned. Miss Eliza had spent several conscientious hours
of instruction and counsel. Arethusa had been told a