ife, "If we tried to keep
you here Henry Brimstead would never forgive us. He talks about you
morning, noon and night. Any one would think that you was the Samson that
slew the Philistines."

"How is Henry?" Samson asked.

"He married my sister and they're about as happy as they can be this
side the river Jordan," she went on. "They've got one o' the best farms
in Tazewell County and they're goin' to be rich. They've built 'em a
splendid house with a big spare room in it. Henry would have a spare room
because he said that maybe the Traylors would be comin' here to visit 'em
some time."

"Yes, sir; I didn't think o' that," said Peasley. "Henry and his wife
would holler if we didn't take ye over there. It's only a quarter of a
mile. I'll show ye the way and we'll all come over this evening and have
a talkin' bee."

Samson was pleased and astonished by the look of Brimstead and his home
and his family and the account of his success. The man from the sand
flats had built a square, two-story house with a stairway and three rooms
above it and two below. He was cleanly shaved, save for a black mustache,
and neatly dressed and his face glowed with health and high spirits. A
handsome brown-eyed miss of seventeen came galloping up the road on her
pony and stopped near them.

"Annabel, do you remember this man?" Brimstead asked.

The girl looked at Samson.

"He is the man who helped us out of Flea Valley," said the girl.

Brimstead leaned close to the ear of Samson and said in a low tone:

"Say, everything knew how to jump there. I had a garden that could hop
over the fence and back ag'in. Sometimes it was there and sometimes it
was off on a vacation. I jumped as soon as I got the chance."

"We call it No Santa Claus Land," said Samson. "Do ye remember how the
little girl clung to the wagon?"

"That was me," said a small miss of ten who ran out of the door into the
arms of the big man and kissed him.

"Would you mind if I kissed you?" Annabel asked.

"I would be sorry if you didn't," said Samson. "Here's my boy, Harry
Needles. You wouldn't dare kiss him I guess?'

"I would be sorry, too, if you didn't," Harry laughed as he took her
hand.

"I'm afraid you'll have to stay sorry," said Annabel turning red with
embarrassment. "I never saw you before."

"Better late than never," Samson assured her. "You don't often see a
better fellow."

The girl laughed, with a subtle look of agreement in her eyes. Then came
up