"We did talk a little," admitted Mickey. "She was telling me of the visitor boy who didn't come, and your son who doesn't think he'll want to stay; so we got to talking. She said just what you did about wanting to see how a city child who hadn't ever seen a chicken, or a cow, or horse would act----" "Good Lord!" cried Peter. "_Is_ there a child in Multiopolis who hasn't ever seen a little chicken, or a calf?" "Hundreds of them!" said Mickey. "I've scarcely seen a cow myself. I've seen hens and little chickens in shop windows at Easter time----" "But not in the orchard in June?" queried Peter. "No, 'not in the orchard in June!'" said Mickey. "Well, well!" marvelled Peter. "There's nothing so true as that 'one half doesn't know how the other half lives.' I've heard that, but I didn't quite sense it, and I don't know as I do yet. You bring her right out!" "Your pleasant lady talked about that; but you see bringing her out and showing her these things, and getting her used to them is _one_ thing; then taking her back to a room so hot I always sleep on the fire-escape, and where she has to stay all day alone, is _another_. I don't know but so long as she must go _back_ to what she has now, it would be better to _leave_ her there." "Humph! I see! What a pity!" exclaimed Peter. "Well, if you'll be coming this way again, stop and see us. I'll talk to Ma about her. We often take a little run to Multiopolis. Junior wouldn't be satisfied till we got a car, and I can't say we ain't enjoying it ourselves. What was that you were saying about my boy not thinking he'll stay?" "_She_ told me," said Mickey, "about the city bug he had in his system. Why don't you swat it immediate?" "What do you mean?" inquired Peter. "Turn him over to me a week or two," suggested Mickey. "I can give him a dose of working in a city that will send him hiking back to home and father." "It's worth considering," said Peter. "I know that what I got of Multiopolis would make me feel like von Hindenberg if I had the job of handling the ribbons of your creamery wagon; and so I know about what would put sonny back on the farm, tickled 'most to death to be here." "By gum! Well, I'll give you just one hundred dollars if you'll do it!" exclaimed Peter. "You see my grandfather and father owned this land before me. We've been on the plowing job so long we have it reduced to a system, so it comes easy for me, and I take pride and pleasure in it; I had supposed my boys would be the same. Do you really think you could manage it?" "Sure," said Mickey. "Only, if you really mean it, not now, nor ever, do you want son to _know_ it. See! The medicine wouldn't work, if he knew he took it." "Well I'll be jiggered!" laughed Peter. "I guess you could do it, if you went at it right." "Well you trust me to do it right," grinned Mickey. "Loan me sonny for a week or two, and you can have him back for keeps." "Well it's worth trying," said Peter. "Say, when will you be this way again?"