Then he laughed and showed his white teeth. "No use to bother and
worry you, Mattie," said he, "you couldn't call it in ten years.
Well, I'm your half-uncle Fred's boy Bill--and I hope you're a
quarter as glad to see me as I am to see you."

"What!" she cried. "Not little Willy who ran away!"

"The same little Willy," he replied in a tone that made Miss Mattie
laugh a little, nervously, "and what I want to know is, are you
glad to see me?"

"Why, of course! But, Will--I suppose I should call you Will? I
am so flustered--not expecting you--and it's been so warm to-day.
Won't you come in and take a chair?" wound up Miss Mattie in
desperation, and fury at herself for saying things so different
from what she meant to say.

There was a twinkle in the man's eye as he replied in an injured
tone:

"Why, good Lord, Mattie! I've come two thousand miles or more to
see you, and you ask me to take a chair. Just as if I'd stepped in
from across the way! Can't you give a man a little warmer welcome
than that?"

"What shall I do?" asked poor Miss Mattie.

"Well, you might kiss me, for a start," said he.

Miss Mattie was all abroad--still one's half-cousin, who has come
such a distance, and been received so very oddly, is entitled to
consideration. She raised her agitated face, and for the first
time in her life realised the pleasure of wearing a moustache.

Then Red Saunders, late of the Chanta Seeche Ranch, North Dakota,
sat him down.

"I'm obliged to you, Mattie," he said in all seriousness. "To tell
you the truth, I felt in need of a little comforting--here I've
come all this distance--and, of course, I _heard_ about father and
mother--but I couldn't believe it was true. Seemed as if they
_must_ be waiting at the old place for me to come back, and when I
saw it all gone to ruin--Well, then I set out to find somebody, and
do you know, of all the family, there's only you and me left?
That's all, Mattie, just us two!--whilst I was growing up out West,
I kind of expected things to be standing still back here, and be
just the same as I left them--hum--Well, how are you anyhow?"

"I'm well, Will, and"--laying her hand upon his, "_don't_ think I'm
not glad to see you--_please_ don't. I'm so glad, Will, I can't
tell you--but I'm all confused--so little happens here."

"I shouldn't guess it was the liveliest place in the world, by the
look of it," said Red. "And as far as that's concerned, I kinder
don't know wh