miss him."

"Why can't I go to town. I know the way. Will you rent me your horses
and wagon? I can drive and I can bring out your tools and things,
too." As she awaited Watts's reply her eyes met the wistful gaze of
Microby Dandeline. She turned to Ma Watts. "And maybe you would let
Microby Dandeline go with me. It would be loads of fun."

"Lawzie, honey, yo' wouldn't want to be pestered with her."

"Yes, I would really. Please let her go with me, that is, if Mr. Watts
will let me have the team."

"Why, shore, yo' welcome to 'em. They hain't sich a good span o'
hosses, but they'll git yo' there, an' back, give 'em time."

"And can we start in the morning?"

"My! Yo' in a sight o' hurry. They's thet front ex----"

"Is it anything very serious? Maybe I could help fix it. Do let me
try."

Watts rubbed his beard reflectively. "Well, no, I reckon it's mebbe
the wheels needs greasin'. 'Twouldn't take no sight o' time to do, if
a body could only git at hit. Reckon I mought grease 'em all 'round,
onct I git started. The young-uns kin help, yo' jest stay here with
Ma. Ef yo' so plumb sot on goin' we'll see't yo' git off."

"I kin go, cain't I, Ma?" Microby Dandeline's eyes were big with
excitement, as she wrung out her dish towel and hung it to dry in the
sun.

"Why, yas, I reckon yo' mought's well--but seem's like yo' allus
a-wantin' to gad. Yo' be'n to town twict a'ready."

"Twice!" cried Patty. "In how long?"

"She's goin' on eighteen. Four years, come July she wus to town. They
wus a circust."

"I know Mr. Christie. He lives to town."

"He's the preacher. He's a 'piscopalium preacher, an' one time that
Vil Holland an' him come ridin' 'long, an' they stopped in fer dinner,
an' that Vil Holland, he's allus up to some kind o' devilment er
'nother, he says: 'Ma Watts, why don't yo' hev the kids all
babitized?' I hadn't never thought much 'bout hit, but thar wus the
preacher, an' he seemed to think mighty proud of hit, an' hit didn't
cost nothin', so I tol' him to go ahead. He started in on Microby
Dandeline--we jest called her Dandeline furst, bein' thet yallar with
janders when she wus a baby, but when she got about two year, I wus a
readin' a piece in a paper a man left, 'bout these yere little
microbys thet gits into everywheres they shouldn't ort to, jest like
she done, so I says to Watts how she'd ort to had two names anyways,
only I couldn't think of none but common ones when we give her hern. I
says, we