A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



sewing material beside the coffee-pot, she pulled 

 up a chair and employed her time in fitting a new 

 neck-band on a hickory shirt, while we ate. 



&quot; I should suppose,&quot; said the Doctor, &quot; that 

 even so charming a home as this would sometimes 

 be a little lonesome to you.&quot; 



&quot; Lonesome &quot; evidently had a different mean 

 ing for her. She repeated the word inquiringly, 

 as if it had never occurred to her before. &quot; I guess 

 people don t get lonesome if they have enough to 

 do,&quot; she said, and the Doctor smiled significantly 

 at me, as if he wanted to insert an aside to the 

 effect that digging potatoes does not ruin horse 

 sense. Then she added, &quot; I suppose anybody 

 could find lonesomeness if he had time to wander 

 around looking for it. I should think you would 

 have found it on the road.&quot; 



&quot; Yes, but we had had too much of the other 

 thing and were trying to get away from it. I sup 

 pose it s very different with you.&quot; 



&quot; Yes,&quot; she said, &quot; I guess it is. What were 

 you looking for on the road ? &quot; 



At that the Doctor guffawed outright. &quot; What 

 was it we were looking for ? &quot; he asked me, as if 

 he needed prompting, and the girl, seeing there 

 was some hesitancy, tried to help us out. &quot; You 

 wasn t lookin for work, was you ? &quot; 



&quot; No,&quot; replied the Doctor, &quot; not exactly. We 

 were both of us a little overworked, and we were 

 looking for rest and a change. Everybody needs 

 them at times. I dare say now, even you would 

 like a change sometimes.&quot; 



174 



