. Ye ain't been raised in this country fer nothin'! Ye
know what I've been warnin' 'bout well 'nough, 'thout axin' me. They's
a-goin' ter be hell raised in this country to-night. That's what I've
been warnin' 'bout. Now do ye know, durn ye!"

"I reckon I do. Who's a-goin' ter git it this time?"

"Aw, ye want to know too much all to once. Jest wait 'til ye see ther
blaze 'long erbout midnight, an' ye'll know all ye want to know."

"I mout be asleep then." Nora spoke feelingly. She desired to know more,
but hesitated to ask direct questions.

"Yes," said Tom, "I reckon ye will be asleep when ye think somethin's
a-goin' to be a-doin'. Them durn big black eyes of yourn'll see
everything in the whole blame valley afore mornin'. Ye kin see plum
through ther mountain when ye want to, an' they'll be a plenty fer you
ter see to-night, an' ther newcomer----!" Tom stopped suddenly and Nora
looked hastily up, inquiringly, hoping to hear him finish the sentence,
but he spoke never another word.

"What's hit about ther newcomer, Tom?" she asked after a moment's
hesitation.

"Nuthin'. What'd ye keer if hit was anything about him?"

"I don't; but ye was about ter say somethin' about him. That's why I
axed ye. I don't keer nothin' about him no mor'n anybody else." Nora did
have some anxiety about his safety, however, but she did not wish to
show this to Tom. She knew her brother's failing.

"Well," said Tom slowly, "seein' as how ye don't keer, I was a-goin' ter
say that he'd git his fill of peekin' 'round here afore he's many days
older, d'ye hear me?"

Nora did hear, and felt a pang peculiarly new to her pass over her
heart. Having now finished milking the old brindle cow, she raised up,
gave her a kick on the legs, and poured the milk into a larger pail
conveniently near. For one moment she studied the features of her
brother, then spoke to him tenderly.

"Now, Tom," she said, "what has ther newcomer done that ye've got it in
fer him?"

"Nuthin'," sullenly. "Nuthin' 'tall. Thought ye didn't keer so much
'bout him?"

"I don't."

"Then ye air mighty interested in somethin' down that away. What made ye
ax me that fer?"

"Aw, go 'long, will ye? Ef ye don't know nuthin', keep yer lips
buttoned; ef ye know somethin', tell it, an' don't be so tight with yer
knowin's."

"Ye air sassy, sis. Well, they hain't nuthin' ther matter with him, but
he acts like he mout do somethin' ef he hain't checked fust. Ef he opens
his mout