h a trowel in her sunny garden. It was good to see her
turn over the warm brown soil; it was good to see the plump green rows
of lettuce and the thin green rows of onions, and the nasturtiums and
sweet peas; it was good--after so many days in that desert of a city--to
get a whiff of blossoming things. I stood for a moment looking quietly
over the fence before the woman saw me. When at last she turned and
looked up, I said:

"Good morning."

She paused, trowel in hand.

"Good morning," she replied; "you look happy."

I wasn't conscious that I was smiling outwardly.

"Well, I am," I said; "I'm going home."

"Then you OUGHT to be happy," said she.

"And I'm glad to escape THAT," and I pointed toward the city.

"What?"

"Why, that old monster lying there in the valley."

I could see that she was surprised and even a little alarmed. So I began
intently to admire her young cabbages and comment on the perfection of
her geraniums. But I caught her eying me from time to time as I leaned
there on the fence, and I knew that she would come back sooner or later
to my remark about the monster. Having shocked your friend (not too
unpleasantly), abide your time, and he will want to be shocked again. So
I was not at all surprised to hear her ask:

"Have you travelled far?"

"I should say so!" I replied. "I've been on a very long journey. I've
seen many strange sights and met many wonderful people."

"You may have been in California, then. I have a daughter in
California."

"No," said I, "I was never in California."

"You've been a long time from home, you say?"

"A very long time from home."

"How long?"

"Three weeks."

"Three weeks! And how far did you say you had travelled?"

"At the farthest point, I should say sixty miles from home."

"But how can you say that in travelling only sixty miles and being gone
three weeks that you have seen so many strange places and people?"

"Why," I exclaimed, "haven't you seen anything strange around here?'"

"Why, no--" glancing quickly around her.

"Well, I'm strange, am I not?"

"Well--"

"And you're strange."

She looked at me with the utmost amazement. I could scarcely keep from
laughing.

"I assure you," I said, "that if you travel a thousand miles you will
find no one stranger than I am--or you are--nor anything more wonderful
than all this--" and I waved my hand.

This time she looked really alarmed, glancing quickly toward the house,
so that I began t