hat softened.

"You sho' air got a pleasant place here. I allus been holdin' th'ain't
no place so peaceful an' homelike as a shady side po'ch, with plenty
er scrubbery an' chickens a scratchin' under 'em. I'd be proud to have
a po'ch er my own, with a box er portulac a bloomin' in front er it
an' plenty er nice red jewraniums sproutin' 'roun' in ol' mattersies
cans--but, you see, me'n Miss Ann air allus on the jump--what with all
the invites we gits ter visitate."

"Let me show you what a nice vegetable garden I have planted, Uncle
Billy, and what a lovely well we have, with the coldest water in the
county. Maybe you would like a drink of cold water, or perhaps you
would like some fresh buttermilk. I have just churned and the
buttermilk is splendid," said Judith.

"Thankee, thankee kindly, missy! I's a great han' fo' buttermilk." The
old man followed Judith to the dairy and watched with admiring eyes as
she dipped the creamy beverage from the great stone jar and poured it
into a big glass mug.

"This was Grandfather Buck's mug. He liked to drink buttermilk from
it, but he always called it a schooner. That was his house, back
there. He never lived in it after Grandfather Knight died, so my
mother tells me, but we always have called it his house. It still has
his furniture in it, but nobody stays there."

"I hearn my Miss Ann a talkin' bout yo' fambly not so long ago. She
say the Bucks an' Bucknors were one an' the same in days gone by but
one er yo' forebears done mislaid the tail en' of his name. But Miss
Ann say that don't make no mind ter her--that you is of one blood jes'
the same. She even done up an' state that you air as clost kin ter her
as the Buck Hill folks air. She air allus been a gret han' for geology
an' tracin' back whar folks comed from."

"She--she didn't tell you to tell me that, did she, Uncle Billy?"
Judith looked piercingly at the old man. He tried to say Miss Ann knew
he was going to tell the girl of their kinship but her clear gaze
confused him.

"Well, well, no'm, she didn't 'zactly tell me, but--No'm, she don't
even know I done come a' callin'. She jes' thinks I'm out a exercisin'
of Puck an' Coopid. Them's the names er my hosses."

"Perhaps she would not like your telling me this," persisted Judith.

"Well, missy, if you ain't a mindin' I believe I'll arsk you not ter
mention what I done let slip. I ain't ter say sho' what the fambly air
gonter do 'bout the matter. I done hear tell t