Otherwise Phyllis

s brother deepened the sense of his own dullness. He wondered whether it were not proof of his general worthlessness that he was so quickly adjusting himself to the conditions of rural life;

s. He contemplated the wheatfield, tilled partly by his own hands, with a stirring of the heart that was ne

ling under his tread, seemed an anomaly. The wood behind him, he crossed a pasture toward the barn and hesitated, seeing that Perry was entertaining visitors. He had fallen into the habit of dropping in at the Perrys' on Sunday afternoons

st over. You've heard it before and I'm no

o, Mr. Holton

t and walked up to s

you here. I usually com

wn we were here!" laughed Phil. "Oh, Uncle Amy, thi

latterly fallen within his range of vision in Main Street. He availed himself of this nearer view to survey Samuel Holton's younger son

e as cordially as he would have spoken to any other young man he might have found

ing for a job when I

d the banker, "when I know the corn

ts to watch my corn grow,

but it's got to be brought up. That farm's been cursed

plied, "but I'm sure it's sound doctrine.

his pocket for his matchbox,

y, and looked Fred over again as the young man refused, explaining that he had

lace; Mr. Montgomery wants to see his or

onfirmation of the

along, Fred

of fruit-growing in which he appeared to be deeply interested, and declared that there was no reason why fruit should be only an insect-blighted by-product of such farms as his; that intelligent farmers were more and more taking it up. He confessed his firm belief in scientific farming in all its branches. Most men in small towns keep some touch with the soil. In a place lik

orse; you got to treat 'em right or they won't work. Th

I want to! I wan

ng unfamiliar with the banker's habit of trying to blow up occasionally, for no reas

u will make it go. It's the wanting to do a thin

the banker's usual way of conversing, and his awe of him diminished. Amzi was an amusing person, with a tang of his o

the wanting to do it w

ry admiringly, as the kind of man he liked, quoting statistics of the w

d they come to g

r and me. I'm not sure but that I got the best of the partition. The stocks and bon

m as your share; you were

thought the arrangement fair enough to me: Charlie knew about

l; you didn't know anything abou

out the way of it

w out his handkerch

place awhile ago and climb the hill

ith him from the city. Char

talent for knowing folks." This was not an important observation, nor was it at all relevant. Mr. Montgomery had merely gone as

disturbed by these visitors, flew down the orchard aisles in panic. The air was as dry as the stubble of the shorn fields. From the elevation crowned by

e best shop in Indianapolis. Phil in gloves was a different Phil, a remote being quite out of hailing distance. He was torn between admiration for her dressed-upness and rebellion against a splendor that set her apart like a goddess for

I think," she remarked,

. Amzi and Perry had wandered away out of sight. She had spoken of solemnity; it was a solemn thing to be alone with a girl like Phil, on a day like this,

heerfulne

one a whole lot, in lonesome places where there wasn't anybody to talk to. I suppose talking is a habit. Wh

haven't exactly said that I talk too much, they agre

t. Her patent leather oxford ties were the nicest she had ever had, and she was not without her pride in their brightness. Fred seated hi

ks a good deal. I saw him

well. He can talk to anybod

at father'

as there,

that there should be any intercourse

him," explained Phil, as though reading his

new trolley line. He wan

e from your farm? I should

icularly," answered Fred; "but it

. "You seemed to get on first-rate with Uncle Amy

ollege-I remember the exact spot-and gave me a penny. I seem to remember that he used to do t

, "is the second grandest man now p

ather, except as I s

e not," s

ing nowhere, and they were b

ight as well bury the hatchet. They're going to ask your Uncl

tance. His acquaintance with that lady was indeed slight, and he did not see at once wherein Phil's aunts had anything to gain by cultivating her society, nor did Phil enlig

vite you to my

she meant by "they"; and he h

miling; "they probab

are coming. Your brother Charlie told me so. He's go

esence to a daughter of the Montgomerys. This contributed to Fred's discomfiture and made it more difficult to talk to Phil. On the face of it Phil was not a difficult person. He had seen her dance round a corn-shock in the moonlight, and a girl who would do that ought to be easy to talk to; and he had seen her, a

e frown on

t to travel about that time you needn't put yourself out, of course. You shall have one o

nd incubator circulars, and the bulletins of the Department of Agriculture. Thank you very much. But

thing to say about my own party? Just for a postscript I'll tell you now that I expect you

at you are not terribly excited about

ad purchased while he was in college had gone glimmering long ago. The Sunday best he wore to-day was two years old, and a discerning eye might have detected its imperfections which a recent careful pressing had not wholly obliterated. His gaze t

ueer, i

at

arm with a sw

nd nothing very important happens to them or has to. It always strikes me as odd how unimportant we all are. We're just us, and if God didn't make us very big or wise or good, why, there's nothing to be done about it. And no matter how hard we get knocked, or how often we stumble, why, most of u

xperience to hear life reduced to the simple terms Phil used. She seemed to him like a teacher who keeps a dull pupil after class, and,

her eyes brightened, and she sprang to her feet. Bending forward with

ard aisles they

rdest well his

s squire and f

own I soon mu

ill be roarin

ide of Phil the inexplicable. She threw up her arm and signaled to her Uncle Amzi, who was approaching with Perry. The interruption was unwe

" he asked, from the

ith a mocker

this lovely creation of a hat wrought in the similitude of a wreath of laurel; but

ir way to the house; and soon Ph

about?" asked Amzi, as he shook the

e, Amy; I was talking t

em. He seems to be pretty decent. Perry says he's got the right stu