But Aunt Ailsie's eyes were instantly drawn to the tent itself, the roof of which was festooned with red cheesecloth and many-colored paper chains, a great flag being draped at one end, while every remaining foot of roof-space and wall-space was covered with bright pictures. Pushing back her black sunbonnet, she moved around the tent sides, gazing rapturously. "'Pears like I never seed my fill of pretties before," she said aloud to herself again and again. "You like it then, do you?" asked a soft voice behind her. And, turning, she confronted still another strange young woman, standing by some shelves filled with books. "Like hit!" repeated Aunt Ailsie, with shining eyes, "Woman, hit's what my soul has pined for these sixty year--jest to see things that are pretty and bright!" "You must spend the day with us, and have dinner, and get acquainted," smiled the stranger. "I will, too--hit's what I come for. Rutheny she told me a Thursday of you fotched-on women a-being here; and then Fulty he give some account of you, too--" "You are not Fult's granny, he talks so much about?" "I am, too--Ailsie Pridemore, his maw's maw, that holp to raise him, and that loves him better than anybody. How many of you furrin women is there?" "Five--but we're not foreign." "Why not? Didn't you come up from the level land?" "Yes, from the Blue Grass. But that's part of the same state, and we're all from the same stock, and really kin, you know." "No, I never heared of having no kin down in the level country." "Yes, our forefathers came out together in the early days. Some stopped in the mountains, some went farther into the wilderness--that's all the difference." "Well, hain't that a sight now! I'm proud to hear hit, though, and to have sech sprightly looking gals for kin. Did you ride on the railroad train to get here?" "Yes, one day by train, and a little over two days by wagon." Aunt Ailsie sighed deeply. "'Pears like I'd give life hitself to see a railroad train!" she said. "I hain't never been nowhere nor seed nothing. Ten mile is the furdest ever I got from home." "Well, it's not too late--you must travel yet." "Not me, woman," declared Aunt Ailsie. "My man is again' women-folks a-going anywheres; he allows they'll be on the traipse allus, if ever they take a start. What might your name be?" "Virginia Preston." "And how old air you, Virginny?" "How old would you guess?" "Well, I would say maybe eighteen or nineteen." "I'm twenty-eight," replied Virginia. "Now you know you hain't! No old woman couldn't have sech rosy jaws and tender skin!" "Yes, I am; but I don't call it old." "Hit's old, too; when I were twenty-eight, I were very nigh a grandmaw." "You must have married very young."