interesting to witness the meeting between them. It may be," added the
poetess, "that they _have_ already met, on his travels before he settled
here. It may be that they are old friends--or even more."

"Then what," returned her brother, "what is he doin' settin' up in his
office all afternoon with ink on his forehead, while Fisbee goes out
ridin' with her and stays for supper after_werds_?"

Although the problem of Fisbee's attendance remained a mere maze of
hopeless speculation, Mildy had been present at the opening of Miss
Sherwood's trunk, and here was matter for the keen consideration of the
ladies, at least. Thoughtful conversations in regard to hats and linings
took place across fences and on corners of the Square that afternoon; and
many gentlemen wondered (in wise silence) why their spouses were absent-
minded and brooded during the evening meal.

At half-past seven, the Hon. Kedge Halloway of Amo delivered himself of
his lecture; "The Past and Present. What we may Glean from Them, and Their
Influence on the Future." At seven the court-room was crowded, and Miss
Tibbs, seated on the platform (reserved for prominent citizens), viewed
the expectant throng with rapture. It is possible that she would have
confessed to witnessing a sea of faces, but it is more probable that she
viewed the expectant throng. The thermometer stood at eighty-seven degrees
and there was a rustle of incessantly moving palm-leaf fans as, row by
row, their yellow sides twinkled in the light of eight oil lamps. The
stouter ladies wielded their fans with vigor. There were some very pretty
faces in Mr. Halloway's audience, but it is a peculiarity of Plattville
that most of those females who do not incline to stoutness incline far in
the opposite direction, and the lean ladies naturally suffered less from
the temperature than their sisters. The shorn lamb is cared for, but often