voice.
"Somebody may hear you," urged Lyddy.
"What if?"
"And repeat what you say to him."
"And _that_ should worry me!" returned 'Phemie, gaily. "Oh, dear, Lyd! don't be a grump. This is all a great, big joke--the people and all. And Lucas is certainly the capsheaf. Did you ever in your life before even imagine such a freak?"
But Lyddy would not join in her hilarity.
"These country people may seem peculiar to us, who come fresh from the city," she said, with some gravity. "But I wonder if we don't appear quite as 'queer' and 'green' to them as they do to us?"
"We couldn't," gasped 'Phemie. "Hurry on, Lyd. Don't let him overtake us before we get to the edge of town."
They passed the courthouse and waited for Lucas and the farm wagon on the outskirts of the village--where the more detached houses gave place to open fields. No plow had been put into these lower fields as yet; still, the coming spring had breathed upon the landscape and already the banks by the wayside were turning green.
'Phemie became enthusiastic at once and before Lucas hove in view, evidently anxiously looking for them, the younger girl had gathered a great bunch of early flowers.
"They're mighty purty," commented the young farmer, as the girls climbed over the wheel with their muddy boots and all.
'Phemie, giggling, took her seat on the other side of him. She had given one look at the awkwardly arranged load on the wagon-body and at once became helpless with suppressed laughter. If the girls she had worked with in the millinery store for the last few months could see them and their "lares and penates" perched upon this farm wagon, with this son of Jehu for a driver!
"I reckon you expect to stay a spell?" said Lucas, with a significant glance from the conglomerate load to Lyddy.
"Yes--we hope to," replied the oldest Bray girl. "Do you think the house is in very bad shape inside?"
"I dunno. We never go in it, Miss," responded Lucas, shaking his head. "Mis' Hammon' never left us the key--not to upstairs. Dad's stored cider and vinegar in the cellar under the east ell for sev'ral years. It's a better cellar'n we've got. An' I dunno what dad'll say," he added, "to your goin' up there to live."
"What's he got to do with it?" asked 'Phemie, quickly.
"Why, we work the farm on shares an' we was calc'latin' to do so this year."
"Our living in the house doesn't interfere with that arrangement," said Lyddy, quietly. "Aunt Jane told us all about that. I have a letter from her for your father."
"Aw--well," commented Lucas, slowly.
The ponies had begun to mount the rise in earnest now. They tugged eagerly at the load, and trotted on the level stretches as though tireless. Lyddy commented upon this, and Lucas flushed with delight at her praise."They're hill-bred, they be," he said, proudly. "Tackle 

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