t his
wrath upon or to have a quiet conversation with, and your old brindle
cow won't come down that way any more."

She blushed, the crimson covering her face making her appear the more
beautiful, if such was possible. The flickering sunlight played on her
face as she replied, "She mout a-come agin fer all ye know sometime."

"If she does, I hope she'll get entirely lost deep down in the
woodland."

She turned sharply toward him.

"What fer?"

"So you may take longer to look for her, and upon discovering your
inability to locate her, may request the newcomer to aid you in the
search."

She was studiously silent for a moment, her feet still swinging to and
fro underneath the porch. "I know these woods better'n you."

"But we are to suppose that the hour is very late and you are quite
afraid to go into the woodland for fear some wild beast will catch you."

Her merry laughter rang over the mountain.

"Would ye help me agin?" she asked.

"Every time."

Again she sat silent.

"Old brindle mout git out agin and she mout git lost. Whut's ther book
ye brought me?"

"A story of the Dark Ages."

"Whut's that?"

"What?"

"Ther Dark Ages."

"Oh, that's a time away back yonder before you were born."

"Hit was putty dark in them days, wasn't it?"

Wade's face flushed perceptibly, but he smiled.

"You cannot be so very much younger than myself," he said.

"I don't know how old ye are, but I know I'm old 'nough ter go ter town
alone, an' can bring the cows home when Tom's not here."

"Who is Tom?"

"My only brother. Ye seed him t'other night when ye come with me ter
fetch the old brindle cow home, didn't ye?"

"I saw someone on horse back coming up the road."

"Did _he_ see ye?" She bent over and looked straight into Wade's eyes.

"I tried to keep him from doing so. I stepped behind a sheltering bush
while he passed, not that I particularly cared for his seeing _me_, but
I felt for your safety. You had told me that your father must not see
you with me, therefore I was in hiding for you, not for myself at all."

"Ye needn't," she replied warmly. "It's fer yourself I'm lookin' out. I
can take care of me. The next time ye can, jest keep on in ther middle
of ther road ef ye think yer hidin' fer me. Ye hain't, no, ye hain't."

Again Wade thoroughly misunderstood. "Let us keep peace," he said
tenderly, "because you are my nearest neighbor now, and I'm a most
neighborly fellow. I came over to-day becaus