[Illustration: 0041] [Illustration: 0043] ```Still he don't count much, you know. ```In the line o' company-- ```Lonesome, 'peared-like, 'most as me! ```So, as _I_ say, I' bin so ```Special lonesome-like and blue, ```With Elviry, like she's bin, ```'Way so much, last two er three ```Year'.--But now she's home ag'in-- `````Home ag'in with me! [Illustration: 0045] [Illustration: 0047] ```Driv in fe'r her yisterday, ```Me and Jonas--gay and spry,-- ```We jes cut up, all the way!-- ```Yes, and sung!--tel, blame it! I ```Keyed my voice up 'bout as high ```As when--days 'at I wuz young-- ```"Buckwheat-notes" wuz all they sung ```Jonas bantered me, and 'greed ```To sing one 'at town-folks sing ```Down at Split Stump 'er High-Low-- [Illustration: 0049] [Illustration: 0051] ```Some new "ballet," said, 'at he'd ```Learnt--about "The Grapevine Swing." ```And when _he_ quit, _I_ begun ```To chune up my voice and run ```Through the what's-called "scales" and "do ```Sol-me-rays" I _ust_ to know-- ```Then let loose old favor_ite_ one, ```"Hunters o' Kentucky!" _My!_ ```Tel I thought the boy would _die!_ ```And we _both_ laughed...... [Illustration: 0053] [Illustration: 0055] `````Yes, and still ```Heerd _more_ laughin', top the hill; ```Fer we'd _missed_ Elviry's train, ```And she'd lit out 'crosst the fields-- ```Dewdrops dancin' at her heels,-- ```And cut up old Smoots's lane ```So's to meet us. And there in ```Shadder o' the chinkypin, ```With a danglin' dogwood-bough ```Bloomin' 'bove her--See her now!-- [Illustration: 0057] [Illustration: 0059] ```Sunshine sort o' flickerin' down ```And a kind o' laughin' all ```Round her new red parasol, ```Try'n' to git at _her!_--well--like ```_I_ jumped out and showed 'em how! ```Yes, and jes the place to strike ```That-air mouth o' hern--as sweet ```As the blossoms breshed her brow ```Er sweet-williams round her feet--- [Illustration: 0061] [Illustration: 0063] ```White and blushy, too, as she ```"Howdy'd" up to Jonas and ```Jieuked her head and waved her hand. ```"_Hey!_" says I, as she bounced in ```The spring-wagon, reachin' back ```To give _me_ a lift, "_whoop-ee! _" ```I-says-ee, "_you're home agin-- `````Home agin with me!_" [Illustration: 0065] [Illustration: 0067] ```Lord! how _wild_ she wuz and glad, ```Gittin' home!--and things she had ```To inquire about, and talk-- ```Plowin', plantin', and the stock-- ```News o' neighberhood; and how ```Wuz the Deem-girls doin' now, ```Sence that-air young chicken-hawk ```They was "tamin'" soared away ```With their settin'-hen, one day?-- ```(Said she'd got Marne's postal-card ```'Bout it, very day 'at she ```Started home from Bethany.) [Illustration: 0069] [Illustration: 0071] ```How wuz pro-duce--eggs, and lard?-- ```Er wuz stores still claimin' "hard ```Times," as usual? And, says she, ```Troubled-like, "How's Deedie--say? ```Sence pore child e-loped away