tter out and roam across fields to escape the dust of
the roads. "Well," said Mrs. Barclay, as they pulled up the bank of
the Sycamore for home, "I suppose it will be you and Molly next, Bob?"

It was Molly who replied: "Yes. It is going to be Thanksgiving."

"Well, why not?" asked Mrs. Barclay.

"Oh--they all seem to think we shouldn't, don't you know, Mrs.
Barclay--with all this hard times--and the bank closing. And hasn't
John told you of the plan he's worked out for Bob to go to New York
this winter?"

The buggy was nearing the Barclay home. Mrs. Barclay answered, "No,"
and the girl went on.

"Well, it's a big wheat land scheme--and Bob's to go East and sell
the stock. They worked it out last night after the bank closed. He'll
tell you all about it."

Mrs. Barclay was standing by the buggy when the girl finished. The
elder woman bade the young people good night, and turned and went into
the yard and stood a moment looking at the stars before going into her
lonely house. The lovers let the tired horses lag up the hill, and as
they turned into Lincoln Avenue the girl was saying: "A year's so
long, Bob,--so long. And you'll be away, and I'm afraid." He tried to
reassure her; but she protested: "You are all my life,--big
boy,--all my life. I was only fourteen, just a little girl, when you
came into my life, and all these long seven years you are the only
human being that has been always in my heart. Oh, Bob, Bob,--always."

What a man says to his sweetheart is of no importance. Men are so
circumscribed in their utterances--so tongue-tied in love. They all
say one thing; so it need not be set down here what Bob Hendricks
said. It was what the king said to the queen, the prince to the
princess, the duke to the lady, the gardener to the maid, the
troubadour to his dulcinea. And Molly Culpepper replied, "When are you
going, Bob?"

The young man picked up the sagging lines to turn out for Watts
McHurdie's buggy. He had just let Nellie Logan out at the Wards',
where she lived. After a "Hello, Watts; getting pretty late for an old
man like you," Hendricks answered: "Well, you know John--when he gets
a thing in his head he's a regular tornado. There was an immense crowd
in town to-day--depositors and all that. And do you know, John went
out this afternoon with a paper in his hand, and five hundred dollars
he dug out of his safe over in the office, and he got options to lease
their land for a year signed up by the owne