The Readjustment

d walls, its prints, its library, than the working house of a practical farm-and down the dusty, sun-beaten l

he seemed to tinkle and twinkle. Her slight hands,-the nail of the little finger was like a grain of popcorn-moved with swift, accurate bird-motions. As she chattered of the ranch and the picking, her voice, still sweet 2 and controlled, came from her lips like the pleasant music of a tea bell. He was

e sulphur samples. It's amusing and homey in her-her habit of flying to her own little nest before she comes to us. She'll inspect the house, have dinner ord

l be contented with such a way

reeding should have. This is all her deliberate choice, and I've done nothing to help her choose. Perhaps I should have decided for her. It's curious the guard that girl keeps over he

aying the halves to dry in wooden trays. A wagon had just arrived from the orchard. Olsen, the Swedish foreman, was heaving the boxes to his Portuguese assistant, who passed them on into the cutting shed. Further on

Mrs. Tiffany halted under one tree to call pleasantries up to a Portuguese, friend of many a harvest before. J

of course, showed only perfection of wo

o, Ch

the leaves rustled as though some great bi

over the next two boxes without comm

nd a pair of good, sturdy legs, clad in corduroys, appeared on the ladder; then the owne

redeem this quality of face. Under his wide and flapping sombrero peered the front lock of his straight, black hair. Even before he smiled, Judge Tiffany marked him as a pleasing youth withal; and when he did smile, eyes and mouth so sof

ege outfit camped down b

o picked the fruit too green.

an old-fashioned distaste for impud

asked with some pomposity. He had intended, when he opened his mouth, to say something very different. His p

t and be done with the conversation, two things happened. Up from one side came Mrs. Tiffany; and from the other, where ran a road dividing the Tiffany orchard from the next, approached a buck

r!" she

rasol dropped. He stopped short with some nervous interruption in his breathing-which might have been a catch in his throat-at the sight of her great, grey eyes; st

never thought to speak to him. And Ruggles's Dynamo-they've let him run away again-just

d-natured though that bull might be. The same thought struck Judge Tiffany. Antonio, the Portuguese, lolling half-asleep against the da

beside the step-ladder. Judge Tiffany turned in reproof, his wife in annoyance,

u out, John," he said

e Judge smile back through his rebuke concerning the

well

the youth, throwing his self-i

sity boys who are picking for us

d Antonio and waited for her to mount the buckboard. As she sprang up, after a final caution from Mrs. Tiffany, she perceived

ated himself all too close. She crowded herself against the iron seat-rail. It annoyed her a little;

the girl who runs her ranch hers

y or to any man of Judge Tiffany's age, but with her male contemporaries she felt always this

the smartest ranchers in

xpressive. But Mr. Chester kept stra

o the prettiest girl

ery kind

ch, but about the rest o

she made

ubject when he perceived that he had drawn no reply. "I'm a

s."

any of the c

N

he city winters. I'm not much

were fixed on the little group of buildings-a bungalow, a barn and a corral-which had just c

nd there he is, just

to the breaking point with green beads of fruit. As they watched, he sucked its tip between his blue lips, pulled at it with a twi

she cried. "Do hurry! Hadn'

bristling at the imputation. "Just 11 give me tha

y trees!" she called after her c

so short that his fore-hoofs plowed two long furrows in the soft earth; whirled, lifted his muzzle, and bellowed. One fore-hoof tore up the dirt and showered it over his back. He dropped to his knees and rubbed the ground wit

e charged. The girl across 12 the fence gave a little scream. The youth, stepping aside with a quickness marvelous considering the size of his frame, avoided the charge. As Dynamo tore past him, he struck out-a mighty lash-with t

orn and the tender, black nose; and back and forth, across the ruins of the prune tree, which went flat at the first rally, they fought and tugged and tossed. Through the agonized half-bellows

his bellow became a moan; he gave backward; in one mighty toss, he threw off his conqueror, turned, and galloped down the orchard with his tail curved like a pretzel across his back. Behind him fo

little of the excitement left in her grey eyes. Bertram approached, grinning; he wore a swagger like that of a little boy who has just turned a series of somersaults before the little girls. Eleanor noticed this. Faintl

ram Chester, with the air of one who deprecates him

as very brave of you. Thank

one. Then he leaned back against a fence-post with the settled air of one

d cottage whose rose-bushes were making a brave fight against th

e of you

ed his eye u

Judge expects me back right away! Any

through her sli

making the rounds from farm-house to farm-house, appeared quite suddenly at the bend of

ried Eleanor, and hurried toward the house. Bert

" he calle

ou so much!" she answ

les, driver of the meat wa

or loin for Satu

or her decision, followed her eyes. She was looking at a dust cloud which trailed down the lane. When s

between the green rows,

you ebber ebber

s' swetes' coon