ld have been real too bad. Where anybody lives
alone such a thing is very tryin'."

"Oh, so 't is!" said Miss Pickett. "There, I'd like to tell you what I
went through with year before last. They come an' asked me one
Saturday night to entertain the minister, that time we was having
candidates"--

"I guess we'd better step along faster," said Mrs. Flagg suddenly.
"Why, Miss Pickett, there's the stage comin' now! It's dreadful
prompt, seems to me. Quick! there's folks awaitin', an' I sha'n't get
to Baxter in no state to visit Mis' Cap'n Timms if I have to ride all
the way there backward!"

III.

The stage was not full inside. The group before the store proved to be
made up of spectators, except one man, who climbed at once to a vacant
seat by the driver. Inside there was only one person, after two
passengers got out, and she preferred to sit with her back to the
horses, so that Mrs. Flagg and Miss Pickett settled themselves
comfortably in the coveted corners of the back seat. At first they
took no notice of their companion, and spoke to each other in low
tones, but presently something attracted the attention of all three
and engaged them in conversation.

"I never was over this road before," said the stranger. "I s'pose you
ladies are well acquainted all along."

"We have often traveled it in past years. We was over this part of it
last week goin' and comin' from the county conference," said
Mrs. Flagg in a dignified manner.

"What persuasion?" inquired the fellow-traveler, with interest.

"Orthodox," said Miss Pickett quickly, before Mrs. Flagg could speak.
"It was a very interestin' occasion; this other lady an' me stayed
through all the meetin's."

"I ain't Orthodox," announced the stranger, waiving any interest in
personalities. "I was brought up amongst the Freewill Baptists."

"We're well acquainted with several of that denomination in our
place," said Mrs. Flagg, not without an air of patronage.

"They've never built 'em no church; there ain't but a scattered few."

"They prevail where I come from," said the traveler. "I'm goin' now to
visit with a Freewill lady. We was to a conference together once,
same's you an' your friend, but 't was a state conference. She asked
me to come some time an' make her a good visit, and I'm on my way now.
I didn't seem to have nothin' to keep me to home."

"We're all goin' visitin' to-day, ain't we?" said Mrs. Flagg sociably;
but no one carried on the conversatio