seen; and then, with something
like a toss of the head, she went in and shut her door.

Later in the day the Virginian met Mr. McLean, who looked at his hat and
innocently quoted. "'My Looloo picked a daisy.'"

"Don't yu', Lin," said the Southerner.

"Then I won't," said Lin.

Thus, for this occasion, did the Virginian part from his lady--and
nothing said one way or another about the handkerchief that had
disappeared during the South Fork incident.

As we fall asleep at night, our thoughts will often ramble back and
forth between the two worlds.

"What color were his eyes?" wondered Molly on her pillow. "His mustache
is not bristly like so many of them. Sam never gave me such a look
at Hoosic Junction. No.... You can't come with me.... Get off your
horse.... The passengers are all staring...."

And while Molly was thus dreaming that the Virginian had ridden his
horse into the railroad car, and sat down beside her, the fire in the
great stone chimney of her cabin flickered quietly, its gleams now and
again touching the miniature of Grandmother Stark upon the wall.

Camped on the Sunk Creek trail, the Virginian was telling himself in his
blankets: "I ain't too old for education. Maybe she will lend me books.
And I'll watch her ways and learn...stand still, Monte. I can learn a
lot more than the kids on that. There's Monte...you pie-biter, stop....
He has ate up your book, ma'am, but I'll get yu'..."

And then the Virginian was fast asleep.

XII. QUALITY AND EQUALITY

To the circle at Bennington, a letter from Bear Creek was always a
welcome summons to gather and hear of doings very strange to Vermont.
And when the tale of the changed babies arrived duly by the post, it
created a more than usual sensation, and was read to a large number of
pleased and scandalized neighbors. "I hate her to be where such things
can happen," said Mrs. Wood.

"I wish I could have been there," said her son-in-law, Andrew Bell.

"She does not mention who played the trick," said Mrs. Andrew Bell.

"We shouldn't be any wiser if she did," said Mrs. Wood.

"I'd like to meet the perpetrator," said Andrew.

"Oh, no!" said Mrs. Wood. "They're all horrible."

And she wrote at once, begging her daughter to take good care of
herself, and to see as much of Mrs. Balaam as possible. "And of any
other ladies that are near you. For you seem to me to be in a community
of roughs. I wish you would give it all up. Did you expect me to l