furrow. The farmhouses were warmly built and hale and strong; no
winter blast should rage so bitterly as to shake them, or scatter the
hospitable embers on the hearth. For this was Carlow County, and he was
coming home.

They crossed a by-road. An old man with a streaky gray chin-beard was
sitting on a sack of oats in a seatless wagon, waiting for the train to
pass. Harkless seized his companion excitedly by the elbow.

"Tommy!" he cried. "It's Kim Fentriss--look! Did you see that old
fellow?"

"I saw a particularly uninterested and uninteresting gentleman sitting
on a bag," replied his friend.

"Why, that's old Kimball Fentriss. He's going to town; he lives on the
edge of the county."

"Can this be true?" said Meredith gravely.

"I wonder," said Harkless thoughtfully, a few moments later, "I wonder
why he had them changed around."

"Who changed around?"

"The team. He always used to drive the bay on the near side, and the
sorrel on the off."

"And at present," rejoined Meredith, "I am to understand that he is
driving the sorrel on the near side, and bay on the off?"

"That's it," returned the other. "He must have worked them like that for
some time, because they didn't look uneasy. They're all right about the
train, those two. I've seen them stand with their heads almost against
a fast freight. See there!" He pointed to a white frame farmhouse with
green blinds. "That's Win Hibbard's. We're just outside of Beaver."

"Beaver? Elucidate Beaver, boy!"

"Beaver? Meredith, your information ends at home. What do you know of
your own State if you are ignorant of Beaver. Beaver is that city of
Carlow County next in importance and population to Plattville."

Tom put his head out of the window. "I fancy you are right," he said. "I
already see five people there."

Meredith had observed the change in his companion's mood. He had watched
him closely all day, looking for a return of his malady; but he came
to the conclusion that in truth a miracle had been wrought, for the
lethargy was gone, and vigor seemed to increase in Harkless with every
turn of the wheels that brought them nearer Plattville; and the nearer
they drew to Plattville the higher the spirits of both the young men
rose. Meredith knew what was happening there, and he began to be a
little excited. As he had said, there were five people visible at
Beaver; and he wondered where they lived, as the only building in sight
was the station, and to satisfy hi