man I eber did see. And he sure does like rice. Says he comes from
India where everybody eats it all the time. I ain' sure but what that
man ain' a sure-enough prince."




CHAPTER II

SPRING IN GREEN VALLEY

Traveling men have a poor opinion of it. Ministers of the gospel have
been known to despair of it. Socially ambitious matrons move out of it,
or, if that is not possible, despise it. Real estate men can not get
rich in it. And humorless folk sometimes have a hard, sad time of it in
Green Valley.

But Uncle Tony, the slowest man in town but the very first at every fire
and accident, says that once, when the Limited was stalled at the Old
Roads Corner, a crowd of swells gathered on the observation platform and
sized up the town.

One official, who--Uncle Tony says--couldn't have been anything less than
a Chicago alderman, said right out loud:

"Great Stars! What peace--and cabbages!"

And another said solemnly, said he, "This is the place to come to when
you have lost your last friend." And there was no malice, only a hungry
longing in his voice.