e first motor carriage was
occupied by Mrs. Bainbridge accompanied by George and Gertrude Gerrish,
Fillmore Flagg and Fern Fenwick following in another. Pursuing a
carefully arranged program, all points of interest were visited; the
barns and stables, herds and flocks, the meadows, the cotton and grain
fields, poultry yards, dairy, apiary, gardens, mills, store-houses,
packing-houses, factory buildings, the brick works and pottery, the
clay-beds, stone-quarries, coal and other mines.

This tour of inspection, which occupied nearly the whole day, proved
very interesting to Fern Fenwick. With her note-book in hand, and her
keen eyes on the alert to catch every salient point, she kept our hero
busy answering a host of questions. It was a long, happy day for him! To
sit so near her, to look into her smiling eyes, to listen to the musical
tones of her voice, to answer her swiftly spoken questions, to respond
to the pressure of her gloved hand upon his arm as she directed his
attention to some particular object; all seemed to him such a delicious
bit of experience, that he almost wished it might go on forever!

In the evening the reception given in honor of the Patroness of the
farm, was held in the large hall of education and amusement. In this
hall, which was handsomely decorated for the event, the people of
Solaris were assembled. They were a unit in eagerness to give expression
to demonstrations of delight when, for the first time, they were
permitted to greet the one they wished to honor: a woman whose name they
reverenced as the title of the noblest guest they could ever hope to
entertain. George and Gertrude Gerrish, with Mrs. Bainbridge, were
already seated on the stage, when Fillmore Flagg appeared, escorting
Fern Fenwick from the waiting room. Moved by one dominant impulse, the
entire audience arose to receive her. The repeated cheers of welcome
were intensified by the accompaniment of a fleecy cloud of waving
handkerchiefs.

Our heroine was well worthy the ovation: richly and artistically gowned,
she was a perfect picture of loveliness! Her cheeks flushed with the
excitement of such an unexpected demonstration, her beautiful eyes
flashing with the inspiration of her wonderful enthusiasm, her perfect
figure proudly erect with the grace and dignity of an all-conquering
magnetic presence, she captured the hearts of the people even before she
had opened her lovely lips to address them.

Warned by a gesture from Fil