turn of the door-handle. The top was crowded with gentlemen looking
only less important than the luxurious passengers inside: and behind
on a vast rack was such a mountain of-baggage swaying with the stage,
but corded firmly to place, and topped with bandboxes, that aunt
Corinne believed their moving wagon would not have contained it all.
Yet the stage swept past like a flash. All its details had to be
gathered by a quick eye. The leaders flew over the smooth
thoroughfare, holding up their heads like horse princes; and Bobaday
knew what a bustle Reynoldsburg would be in during the few minutes
that the stage halted.

After viewing this sumptuous pageant the little caravan moved
briskly on toward Columbus. Zene kept some distance ahead, yet always
in sight. And in due time the city began to grow around them. The
'pike never lost its individuality among the streets of the capital.
They saw the great penitentiary surrounded by stone walls as thick as
the length of a short boy. They saw trains of cars trailing in and
out; manufactories, and vistas of fine streets full of stores. They
even saw the capitol building standing high up on its shaded grounds,
many steps and massive pillars giving entrance to the structure which
grandma Padgett said was one of the finest in the United States. It
was not very long before they reached the western side of the city
and were crossing the Scioto River in a long bridge and entering what
was then a shabby suburb called Frankfort. At this point aunt Corinne
and her nephew entered unbroken ground.




CHAPTER II.