you Cynthy--Cynthy?" he asked.

"Y-yes," answered Cynthia, looking up to her father and then glancing
shyly at Jethro.

His eyes were on the mountain, and he seemed to have forgotten her until
she reached out to him, timidly, another strawberry. He seized her little
hand instead and held it between his own--much to the astonishment of his
friends.

"Whose little gal be you?" he asked.

"Dad's."

"She's Will Wetherell's daughter," said Lem Hallowell. "He's took on the
store. Will," he added, turning to Wetherell, "let me make you acquainted
with Jethro Bass."

Jethro rose slowly, and towered above Wetherell on the stoop. There was
an inscrutable look in his black eyes, as of one who sees without being
seen. Did he know who William Wetherell was? If so, he gave no sign, and
took Wetherell's hand limply.

"Will's kinder hipped on book-l'arnin'," Lemuel continued kindly. "Come
here to keep store for his health. Guess you may have heerd, Jethro, that
Will married Cynthy Ware. You call Cynthy to mind, don't ye?"

Jethro Bass dropped Wetherell's hand, but answered nothing.

CHAPTER VIII

A week passed, and Jethro did not appear in the village, report having it
that he was cutting his farms on Thousand Acre Hill. When Jethro was
farming,--so it was said,--he would not stop to talk politics even with
the President of the United States were that dignitary to lean over his
pasture fence and beckon to him. On a sultry Friday morning, when William
Wetherell was seated at Jonah Winch's desk in the cool recesses of the
store slowly and painfully going over certain troublesome accounts which
seemed hopeless, he was thrown into a panic by the sight of one staring
at him from the far side of a counter. History sometimes reverses itself.

"What can I do for you--Mr. Bass?" asked the storekeeper, rather weakly.

"Just stepped in--stepped in," he answered. "W-where's Cynthy?"

"She was in the garden--shall I get her?"

"No," he said, parting his coat tails and seating himself on the counter.
"Go on figurin', don't mind me."

The thing was manifestly impossible. Perhaps Wetherell indicated as much
by his answer.

"Like storekeepin'?" Jethro asked presently, perceiving that he did not
continue his work.

"A man must live, Mr. Bass," said Wetherell; "I had to leave the city for
my health. I began life keeping store," he added, "but I little thought I
should end it so."

"Given to book-l'arnin' then, wahn't you?" J