pretty high, and leaving her old playmate feeling as if he had had a
little the worst of it. That was often the way with people who stopped
to talk with Jenny Walters, and she was not as much of a favorite as she
otherwise might have been.

Dabney looked after her with his mouth puckered into shape for a
whistle; but she had hardly disappeared before he found himself
confronted by the strange young gentleman.

"Is your name Dabney Kinzer?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Well, I'm Mr. Ford Foster, from New York."

"Come over here to buy goods?" suggested Dabney. "Or to get something to
eat?"

Ford Foster was apparently of about Dab's age, but a full head less in
height, so that there was more point in the question than there seemed
to be; but he treated it as not worthy of notice, and asked,--

"Do you know of a house to let anywhere about here?"

"House to let?" suddenly exclaimed the voice of Mrs. Kinzer, behind him,
much to Dab's surprise. "Are you asking about a house? Whom for?"

Ford Foster had been quite ready to "chaff" Dick Lee, and he would not
have hesitated about trying a like experiment upon Mr. Dabney Kinzer;
but he knew enough to speak respectfully to the portly and business-like