HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 29 



and out. When I stole a glance at her she was 

 standing at the window, looking away across 

 the hills, touching her lips with a finger-tip 

 a little trick she has when she's thoughtful. 

 She has never told me what she was thinking 

 about, all to herself, in that minute. I've won- 

 dered. When she turned from the window 

 presently she was quite herself, smiling, game 

 for anything. 



"Could you see where the house is to stand?" 

 I asked. 



"Yes!" she flashed. "On that little knoll at 

 the edge of the oats field, by that big wild 

 cherry tree." 



"That's the place!" I said. We stood to- 

 gether then and watched the sunset color fad- 

 ing; watched till there was nothing to see but 

 the dull flush of the afterglow. "Come!" I 

 said then. "We must get supper and be ready 

 for the train home." 



"Home!" Laura said. "Why, this is 

 Home!" 



I've told you some rather intimate things; 

 for I've wanted you to know the state of mind 

 we were in when we began our life of farming. 

 We weren't driven to it, you see ; we didn't go 



