needed on a ranch.

"Evelyn, you must select the very best velvet carpets that can be found
in this city."

"Fred, that is reckless extravagance."

"No, it isn't. A good velvet carpet will last just twice as long as an
ingrain one. I'm not going to buy anything cheap. The best is always the
cheapest. I want sofas, chairs, rockers, and tables, and then such other
dainties as your good taste may suggest. It is to be the home of my
sweetheart and Terry's sister, and we expect you to have quite a number
of young ladies from Crabtree to go down there and spend as long a time
as they choose, to be company for you. Then I'll buy a bookcase and have
plenty of books and magazines; for both Terry and you, as well as I, are
fond of good reading. Then we must have some good strong oilcloth to put
on the kitchen and dining room floors," and she followed Fred's
instructions, and made her choice of the carpets, and Fred, in paying
for them, offered them to the dealer to have them made up at once. Then
they selected chairs, tables, bureaus, a bookcase, and everything else
that was conductive to comfort.

Evelyn was a little bit surprised when she saw what the total amount
came to, but Fred told her that she must not put in any objections,
whatever. He said that if she wanted to rough it she could go out of
doors into the barn lot, the cow lot, and the lot in which the pigs and
chickens were kept and amuse herself to her heart's content.

The greater part of the day was taken up in making their purchases.
Then, about sunset, Fred returned to the ranch on the engine of a
freight, leaving Evelyn in the hotel.

The lady guests of the house were quite disappointed, as they thought
they would hear him sing and play during the evening, but she told them
that he was preparing a house down on the ranch for her and a number of
their friends there in Crabtree, whom they were calculating on being
able to persuade to go down and spend some time with them.

Of course, quite a number of them were quite eager to go.

All that night Evelyn was dreaming of feeding a big flock of little
chickens and little pigs, and looking after and petting the mild-eyed
milch-cows, and awoke fully convinced that she was going to have the
happiest time of her life with her brother and her sweetheart as her
daily companions.

Many a time had she milked her mother's cows in Fredonia, and she
enjoyed the exercise as well as making butter.

Butter-making was a p