ered Miss Eliza, graciously conceding Miss Letitia
a stroke of real mentality in her suggestion. If he was planning to
attend, it would be just the thing; the girl could go with him. She was
sorry she had not broached the subject at supper.

But Arethusa vehemently opposed this idea. She would not go a single
step with Timothy. And why could she not go alone, anyway? She was
quite large enough, and she was all of eighteen this summer.

This very radical departure from the established order of things raised
a storm of protest immediately from Miss Letitia and Miss Eliza; Miss
Eliza especially. Such was not to be considered for a moment! An
absolutely unprotected female traveling alone! And a young female at
that!

"No," said Miss Eliza, firmly.

If the worst came to the worst, and it could not possibly be managed
any other way, she would go with Arethusa herself, rather than have her
make that four hour trip totally unattended; at which presented
alternative Arethusa's mobile face clouded over most completely. This
was a much worse prospect than Timothy.

Miss Eliza and Miss Letitia suggested and counter-suggested, and then
rejected everything. No one idea seemed altogether to suit.

Now all this commotion over the trip and Arethusa's making it alone was
really not so uncalled-for when one realized all the circumstances.

She had never been on a railroad train; never having spent longer than
a portion of a day away from the Farm in all of her eighteen years, nor
slept, even for one night, under any other roof.

The family did their shopping in "Blue Spring," five miles away down
the Pike, only by courtesy a town. It was a "town" of six hundred
inhabitants, including babes in arms and counting very carefully. On
two most memorable occasions Arethusa had visited the county-seat,
twelve miles farther on, on the same Pike (for Blue Spring had
preempted a portion of the State road as its Main street); and these
were occasions truly never to be forgotten. For there ran the railroad,
through the heart of the town; there were electric lights and paved
streets; the little place in its aping of a city gave her glimpses of a
world of fascinating bustle and confusion. To Arethusa, the county-seat
seemed bewilderingly active and alive.

But Miss Eliza was not much of a believer in going to town, and she
considered it a waste of time to drive about merely to be driving. The
old-fashioned surrey, with its dark green felt upho