a thing to
me, not even scold! Mr. Pryor stared at her like Jacob Hood does at
Laddie when he begins rolling Greek before him, so I guess what mother
said must have been Greek to Mr. Pryor.

"I came to see Mr. Stanton," he said suddenly, and crosslike as if he
didn't believe a word she said, and had decided she was too foolish to
bother with any longer; but he kept on staring. He couldn't quit that,
no matter how cross he was. The funniest thing came into my mind. I
wondered what on earth he'd have done if she'd gone over, sat on his
lap, put her arms around his neck, took his face between her hands and
kissed his forehead, eyes, lips, and tousled his hair, like she does
father and our boys. I'll bet all I got, he'd have turned to stonier
stone than Sabethany. You could see that no one ever served HIM like
that in all his old, cold, hard, cross, mysterious, shut-in life. I
was crazy to ask, "Say, did anybody ever kiss you?" but I had such a
close escape bringing him in wrong, I thought it would be wise not to
take any risks so soon after. It was enough to stand beside mother,
and hear every word they said. What was more, she wanted me, because
she kept her hand on mine, or touched my apron every little while.

"I'm so sorry!" she said. "He was called to town on business. The
County Commissioners are sitting to-day."

"They are deciding about the Groveville bridge, and pike?"

"Yes. He is working so hard for them."

"The devil you say! I beg pardon! But it was about that I came. I'm
three miles from there, and I'm taxed over sixty pounds for it."

"But you cross the bridge every time you go to town, and travel the
road. Groveville is quite a resort on account of the water and lovely
country. Paul is very anxious to have the work completed before the
summer boarders come from surrounding cities. We are even farther from
it than you; but it will cost us as much."

"Are you insane?" cried Mr. Pryor, not at all politely; but you could
see that mother was bound she wouldn't become provoked about anything,
for she never stopped a steady beam on him. "Spend all that money for
strangers to lazy around on a few weeks and then go!"

"But a good bridge and fine road will add to their pleasure, and when
they leave, the improvements remain. They will benefit us and our
children through all the years to come."

"Talk about 'the land of the free'!" cried Mr. Pryor. "This is a
tax-ridden nation. It's a b