ve you make yourself to home for as
long as you'd like to stay. You see it's been a good while since
we met up with anybody like you, and we count it a real favor to
have you."

Mr. Howitt accepted the invitation with evident pleasure, and,
soon after, the mountaineer rode away to Bear Creek, on his quest
for a man to herd sheep. Young Matt had already gone with his team
to the field on the hillside west of the house, and the brown pony
stood at the gate ready for Sammy Lane to return to her home on
Dewey Bald.

"I'd like the best in the world to stay, Aunt Mollie," she said,
in answer to Mrs. Matthews' protest; "but you know there is no one
to feed the stock, and besides Mandy Ford will be back sometime
to-day."

The older woman's arm was around the girl as they went down the
walk. "You must come over real often, now, honey; you know it
won't be long 'til you'll be a leavin' us for good. How do you
reckon you'll like bein' a fine lady, and livin' in the city with
them big folks?"

The girl's face flushed, and her eyes had that wide questioning
look, as she answered slowly, "I don't know, Aunt Mollie; I ain't
never seen a sure 'nough fine lady; I reckon them city folks are a
heap different from us, but I reckon they're just as human. It
would be nice to have lots of money and pretties, but somehow I
feel like there's a heap more than that to think about. Any how,"
she added brightly, "I ain't goin' for quite a spell yet, and you
know 'Preachin' Bill' says, 'There ain't no use to worry 'bout the
choppin' 'til the dogs has treed the coon.' I'll sure come over
every day."

Mrs. Matthews kissed the girl, and then, standing at the gate,
watched until pony and rider had disappeared in the forest.

Later Aunt Mollie, with a woman's fondness for a quiet chat,
brought the potatoes she was preparing for dinner, to sit with Mr.
Howitt on the porch. "I declare I don't know what we'll do without
Sammy," she said; "I just can't bear to think of her goin' away."

The guest, feeling that some sort of a reply was expected, asked,
"Is the family moving from the neighborhood?"

"No, sir, there ain't no family to move. Just Sammy and her Pa,
and Jim Lane won't never leave this country again. You see Ollie
Stewart's uncle, his father's brother it is, ain't got no children
of his own, and he wrote for Ollie to come and live with him in
the city. He's to go to school and learn the business, foundry and
machine shops, or something