going to stay here and be ordered about by this Finch fellow. Retty's
soft as mush over him. Say, Ben, you _would_ like to go, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I think I would," answered Ben slowly. "There would be such a
splendid chance to learn about everything."

Their mother had been walking around the familiar paths with George, who
had developed some ideas of his own in this brief space. And his mother
had not realized before how tall and stout he was getting.

"I'd like to see father and Steve and make some plans. I'd like to work
part of father's ground on shares or some way. I'm glad Dave Andrews is
staying on. I don't altogether like Uncle Faid's ideas, and oh, mother,
'tisn't any such jolly home as you had. Poor Aunt Crete is so miserable.
But you see if I really had some interest of my own I'd be learning all
the time."

"I'm sure your father will consent." His mother felt so proud, leaning
on his arm. And some time _they_ would come back. So they talked the
matter over with eager interest, and she quite forgot about the little
girl's bedtime. Retty had joined them and was rehearsing some of her
Western experiences, and the little girl sat with wide-open eyes,
looking at Retty in the moon-light, thinking what a great wonderful
world it was to have so many places and all so different. Did you have
two organs of thought? She was so puzzled about thought, anyhow. For
with one side of her that didn't see Retty, she could see her father so
plainly in this very corner, and she was in his arms, and with the
faculty that wasn't listening to her cousin she could hear her father's
voice. You see, she wasn't old enough to know about dual consciousness.

When Hanny went up-stairs with her mother the boys went also.

"Say, Ben," and his brother gave him a dig in the ribs with his elbow;
"say, Ben, don't you want to go back to New York with mother? If we just
push with all our might and main, together we can."

"Well, don't push me through the side of the house."

"You want to be pushed all the while. You're as slow as 'lasses in
winter time. Ben, you take after Uncle Faid. It takes him 'most all day
to make up his mind. Now I can look at a thing and tell in a minute."

"You seem ready enough to tell." Ben laughed a little provokingly.

"Well, you can go or not as you like. 'Taint half the fun here that it
used to be. I didn't think I cared so much for Hanny."

"Is it Hanny?" in a tone that irritated.

"It's Hanny and