t over much yet,
but with church twice on Sunday and prayer-meetin' Wednesday evenings,
and the sewin' circle on Friday, and two New York papers every week, and
Miriam, and all your pa's books to prop up against the lamp, I don't
reckon I'll get so dreadful lonesome. I've thought some of gettin'
myself a cat. There's somethin' mighty comfortable and heartenin' about
a cup of hot tea and the sound of purrin' close by. And on the Spring
excursion to the city, I reckon I'll come up and see you, if I don't
have no more pain in my back."

[Sidenote: Dr. Conrad's Automobile]

"I'd love to have you come, Mother, and I'd do all I could to give you a
good time. I know the others would, too. Doctor Conrad has an automobile
and----"

Miss Mattie became deeply concerned. "Is he treatin' himself for it?"
she demanded.

"I don't think so," answered Roger, choking back a laugh.

"It beats all," mused Miss Mattie. "They say the shoemaker's children
never have shoes, and it seems that doctors have diseases just like
other folks. I disremember of havin' heard of this, but I know from my
own experience that a disease with only one word to it can be dreadful
painful. Is it catchin'?"

"Not with full speed on," replied Roger. "An automobile is very hard to
catch."

"Well, see that you don't take it," cautioned Miss Mattie. The first
part of his answer was obscure, but she was not one to pause over an
uninteresting detail.

"You've warned me about almost everything now, Mother," he said,
smiling. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing but matrimony, and that's included under the head of designing
females. I shouldn't want you to get married."

"Why not?"

[Sidenote: Welded Souls]

"I don't know as I could tell you just why, only it seems to me that a
person is just as well off without it. I've been thinking of it a good
deal since I've had these New York papers and read so much about two
souls bein' welded into one. My soul wasn't never welded with your pa's,
nor his with mine, as I know of.

"Marriage wasn't so dreadful different from livin' at home. It reminded
me of the Summer ma took a boarder, your pa required so much waitin' on.
And when you came, I had a baby to take care of besides. If I was welded
I never noticed it--I was too busy."

Roger's heart softened into unspeakable pity. In missing the "welding,"
Miss Mattie had missed the best that life has to give. Somewhere,
doubtless, the man existed who could have stir