ead bent still lower, and she examined the hem of her apron
critically. "I expect I would, Mr. Parks!" she said softly.

But when Calvin had driven off, chirrupping joyfully to the brown horse,
Mary's little brown hands came together with a clasp, and she looked
anxiously after him.

"If they don't get you away from me!" she said. "Oh! my good,
kind,--there! _stupid_ dear, if they don't get you away from me!"

* * * * *

"Hossy," said Calvin; "do you feel good? Do you? Speak up!"

The brown horse shook his head as the whip cracked past his ear, and
whinnied reproachfully.

"Sho!" said Calvin. "You don't mean that. I know it's a mite late, but
we'll get there, and you're sure of a good supper, whatever I be. But
we've had us a great day, little hossy! we've had us a great day. Them
two poor old mis'able lobster-claws is j'ined together, and betwixt the
two they'll make a pretty fair lobster, take and humor 'em, and kind of
ease 'em along till they get used to each other again. And they ain't
the only ones that's feelin' good, little hossy; no siree and the
bob-cat's tail! You take them four good-lookin' legs of your'n round the
Lord's earth, and if you find a happier man than little Calvin is
to-night, I'll give you a straw bunnet for Easter. Put that in
your--well, not exactly pipe and smoke it--say nose-bag and smell it!
Gitty up, you little hossy!" He flourished the whip round the head of
the brown horse, who, catching the holiday spirit, flung up his heels
incontinent, and broke into a canter even as his master broke into song.

"Now Renzo had a feedle,
That's what Renzo had, tiddy hi!
'Twas humped up in the meedle,
So haul the bowline, haul!
He played a tune, and the old cow died,
And the skipper and crew jumped over the side,
And swum away on the slack of the tide,
So haul the bowline, haul!"

The moon came up over the great snow-fields, and the world from ghostly
white flashed into silver and ebony. The "orbed maiden" seemed to smile
on Calvin Parks as he jogged along the white road; perhaps in all her
sweep of vision she may have seen few things pleasanter than this
middle-aged lover.

"Looks real friendly, don't she?" said Calvin. "And no wonder! Christmas
night, and a prospect like this; it's what _I_ call sightly! I wish't I
had my little woman along to see it with me; don't you, hossy? What say?
You speak up now, when I talk to you about a lady! Where's