uld be just as well," said Mrs. Kinzer. "The ponies are gentle
enough, and Dick drives well. He'll be glad enough to go."

"Dick Lee, indeed!" began Samantha.

"A fine boy," interrupted Dab, "and he's beginning to dress well. His
new clothes fit him beautifully. All he really needs is a shirt, and
I'll give him one. Mine are getting too small."

"Well, Dabney," said Mrs. Kinzer, "I've been thinking about it. You
ought not to be tied down all the while. Suppose you take next week
pretty much to yourself. Samantha wont want the ponies every day. The
other horses have all got to work, or I'd let you have one of them."

Dabney got up, for want of a better answer, and walked over to where his
mother was sitting, and gave the thoughtful matron a good, sounding
kiss.

At the same time he could not help thinking, "This comes of Ham Morris
and my new rig."

"There Dabney, that'll do," said his mother; "but how'll you spend
Saturday?"

"Guess I'll take Ford Foster out in the bay a-crabbing, if he'll go,"
replied Dabney. "I'll run over and ask him."

It was not too late, and he was out of the house before there was a
chance for further remarks.

"Now, he muttered," as he walked along, "I'll have to see old lawyer
Foster, and Mrs. Foster, and I don't know who all, besides. I don't like
that."

Just as he came to the north fence of his former residence, however, he
was hailed by a clear, wide-awake voice: "Dab Kinzer, is that you?"

"Guess so," said Dab; "is that you, Ford?"

"I was just going over to your house," said Ford.

"And I was just coming to see you. I've been too busy all the week, but
they've let up on me at last."

"I've got our family nearly settled," replied Ford, "and I thought I'd
ask if you wouldn't like to go out with me on the bay to-morrow. Teach
you to catch crabs."

Dab Kinzer drew a long, astonished sort of whistle, but he finished it
with, "That's about what I was thinking of. There's plenty of crabs, and
I've got a tip-top boat. We wont want a heavy one for just us two."

"All right, then. We'll begin on crabs; but some other day we'll go for
bigger fish. What are you going to do next week?"

"Got it all to myself," said Dab. "We can have all sorts of a good time.
We can have the ponies, too, when we want them."

"That's about as good as it knows how to be," responded the young
gentleman from the city. "I'd like to explore the country. You're going
to have a nice place of it over ther