reason for asking, except that she had been the only
woman among them, and he accordingly felt that a
certain courtesy was due her even in her absence.

"I've bothered me head loose tryin' to remimber,
but for the soul o' me, I can't. It's cold enough up
there, I know, to freeze ye solid, for Miss Margaret
had wan o' her ears nipped last time she was home."


And so one fine morning in June, with Oliver
bursting with happiness, the hair trunk and the
leather case and sketching umbrella were thrown out
at a New England way-station in the gray dawn from
a train in which Oliver had spent the night curled up
on one of the seats.

Just as he had expected, the old coach that was
to carry him was waiting beside the platform. There
was a rush for top seats, and Oliver got the one beside
the driver, and the trunk and traps were stored
in the boot under the driver's seat--it was a very
small trunk and took up but little room--and Marvin
cracked his whip and away everybody went, the dogs
barking behind and the women waving their aprons
from the porches of the low houses facing the road.

And it was a happy young fellow who filled his
lungs with the fresh air of the morning and held on
to the iron rail of the top seat as they bumped over