erything and make
yourself at home. But, pap, where's Nancy?"

"Oh, she's comin' along in a carry-all with the town man that runs
the paper. She's all right--she can take care of herself anywhere."

They went into the house, the children scattering and peeping from
corners and from behind the althea bushes in the yard. Warren and
Nancy soon came in laughing. The girl threw her hat on the bed, tucked
up her skirts and went out to the kitchen to help her mother, and the
old man excused himself on the grounds that he must go out to feed the
stock.

"Warren, gallantry is all right, but this is cruel," said Lyman. "We
are imposing on this family. Look how those women have to work, and
they will strain every nerve to get us something to eat."

"Of course they will, and they like it. Do you know that? They do. You
couldn't please them more than by eating with them, and I'm always
willing to put myself out to please folks. Say, we'll stay here
tonight and go in tomorrow."

"I am not going to stay. Doesn't it strike you that you are a trifle
too brash, as they say around here? Don't you think so?"

"Not a bit of it. I want to stay till tomorrow to see whether I want
to come back again or not. I want to find out whether I am in love
with her or not. I think I am, but still I don't know, and my rule is
that a man ought to know where he stands before he walks. We were
passing under a tree and she reached up and pulled at a limb and her
loose sleeve fell down and I saw her arm. That almost settled it. But
I think I'll know definitely in the morning."

"Warren, I'm going back to town tonight."

"What, over that dark road? Don't you know we passed a good many
dangerous places coming? Stay till tomorrow."

"No, I'll walk back and leave the wagon for you."

"That would be an outrage. If you go back, drive."

"No, to tell you the truth I would rather walk. I want to think."

"Then you'd rather go alone, anyway, wouldn't you? All right, and
probably I can get her to come to town with me tomorrow. They've got
to send in to buy things sometimes, I should think. By the by, I've
got a lot of seeds sent by a congressman, and I'll tell the old man he
can have them. Nothing catches one of these old fellows like seeds.
He'll send her in after them tomorrow morning, and then I can find out
how I stand."

"With her?"

"No, find out how I stand with myself--see whether I love her or not.
Have you found out yet--in your case? Tell m