he replied thoughtfully.

"Have ye come to stay?" she asked.

The question was very direct, but Wade felt no uneasiness in replying
truthfully. He had come to stay so long as everything was pleasant for
him, otherwise he might pull up "stakes" and leave when he thought the
time was ripe.

Her next question was even more direct. She stood for one moment,
surveying Wade casually.

"Have ye come to raise terbacker?" she asked.

"No," he replied, "I shall raise tobacco but in small quantities, merely
as a pastime. I am here especially on account of my health."

She surveyed him again, her large dark eyes going over him from head to
feet.

"Ye don't look unhealthy."

She was quite right. He did not look unhealthy. His large athletic frame
was not physically disabled.

"No?" he questioned. "Well, I'm not quite dead."

He laughed and so did she laugh, her silvery voice ringing out through
the fast gathering darkness.

"There is your brindle cow," he said, pointing to the creature which
stood with neck bent, looking back at the two approaching figures.

"Thank ye for bein' so kind," she said, looking up at him with a
grateful expression upon her countenance. Picking up a short piece of
broken tree limb she went round the cow, crying "Hooey-hooey!" and
striking her about the flanks. The cow, fully understanding what was
wanted of her, started back up the road toward home, while the girl
appeared to pay no further heed to Wade's presence, feeling that he had
done his full duty in locating the cow. However, the latter followed her
out of the woods, both of them trailing along slowly and silently behind
the cow.

"I'm going to help you to get the runaway home," said Wade, smiling.

"Ye needn't," she exclaimed; "I know the road all right," a little
sarcastically.

"But I also want to learn it," he replied, not in the least rebuffed.

"Ye might be losin' time for me, an' I don't want ye to do that,"
tenderly.

"I'd rather lose time assisting you than do anything else at this
moment."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "ef ye want to learn the road, come on."

Her face flushed. She felt it, but Wade could not penetrate the twilight
sufficiently to discern the crimson coloring.

"I do want to," he said, "and I wish I had such a companion to show me
the way over the mountain and through the entire country."

Unheeding this remark, she said, "Hit's a little lonely, livin' alone,
hain't it?"

"It is while I am not very w