he press of the season?
Well, I don't. Not for twenty year. There's them as calls it folly, but
the smell of the hay brings it all back and turns me sick. You say you
can't believe such a fine woman as me would be subject to fancies; you
think I look too young, do you, to be talkin' this way of twenty years
ago. Wall, there's more than one way of counting age. Some goes by grey
hairs, some by happenings. But this that came so long ago is all as
clear--clear as God's light upon the meadows there.

"But if you will have the whole story, let's begin at the beginnin', and
that brings you to the old school-house where them three, neighbours'
children they was, went to school together. There was Kitty of course,
and Elihu Grant and Joel Barton, them was the three that my story's
about.

"'Lihu was always a big, over-grown lad, with a steadfast, kind heart,
not what folks called brilliant; he warn't going to be extraordinary
when he grow'd up, didn't want to be, so fur as I know; he aimed to be
as good a man's his father, nothing more, nothing less. Good and true
was 'Lihu; all knew that, yet his name was never mentioned without a
'but,' not even by the school marm, though she said he was the best boy
in her school.

"Kitty looked down some on 'Lihu, made him fetch and carry, and always
accustomed herself to the 'but,' as if the good qualities wasn't of much
account since they could not command general admiration. Yes, this had
something to do with what follered; I can see that plain enough. Still,
I know she loved 'Lihu from babyhood deep down in her heart of hearts--

"Anything wrong, sir? you give me a turn moving so sudden like. Let me
see, where was I? Oh, talkin' about them boys. Well, let's get on.

"I've given you some idea of what 'Lihu was like, but seems to me harder
to tell about that Barton boy, that gay, handsome, charming Joel, that
kept the whole country alive with his doings and sayings from the time
he could trot about alone.

"Wall! he _was_ bright was Joel, and 'twas no wonder that his parents
see it so plain and talk Joel day in and day out whenever they got a
soul to listen to 'em. Kitty grew up admiring him; there warn't no 'but'
in speaking of Joel. He done everything first class, from farm work to
his lessons, so no wonder his folks acted proud of him and sent him to
college to prepare for a profession.

"Wall, his success at college added some to his notoriety, and his
doings was talked back a