Satisfied that her brother was not starving, she gazed at him over the tops of her spectacles with a humorous twinkle in her eyes. "This _is_ a surprise. It is the first time that you have visited me since--" She paused in sudden indignation. "Obadiah Dale," she went on sharply, "you have never deigned to honor me with a visit in my own home." He was nervous and ill at ease as he answered, "I know, Kate, but I'm a very--" She interrupted him, in a gentler mood. "Yes, I know, Obadiah. The years have run swiftly. Yesterday we were boy and girl together at the old home. Today we are old folks, the best part of our lives spent. The page of our earthly hour is nearly written and there is only room for a few more sentences." She glared at him with great severity and sniffed, "At least, we'd better see that these lines have something good about us." "Yes, Kate," he agreed meekly. "I know that you want to see--Virginia. She's not here, Obadiah. She has gone up to the head of the pond to see Charles Augustus, the lame boy who was operated upon," she told him. Obadiah nodded. "How far is that from here? Can I walk it?" Aunt Kate considered. "It's about three miles by road. You will get lost and never find the place. The girls will be back by two or three o'clock. Can't you make yourself comfortable and visit with me until then?" "I do want to see Virginia. She has been away a long time." He jumped to his feet and moved nervously about. "I think that I shall walk there, if you don't mind, Kate." His anxiety awakened the sympathy of his sister. "You are not used to strolls like that. I am afraid that it will not be good for you. I have a horse that is old and fat and slow but he can haul us there if you can hitch him up." "That will do." Obadiah was much relieved. "I'll drive your horse. I used to do it when I was a boy." "That was a long time ago. You may have forgotten." An idea struck her. "Do fashions change in harness? If so, you won't know a thing about it and it won't be safe to trust you." The employer of hundreds was disgusted at his sister's display of lack of confidence in his abilities. "Harnesses haven't changed," he insisted, dryly. At the barn, Archimedes was brought forth and Obadiah Dale, millionaire manufacturer, essayed to harness the steed to the family vehicle. He displayed great energy and his enthusiasm increased with the passage of time. Archimedes was an ideal animal for the mill owner's experimentations. In all of his impressive dignity of weight and size, the animal waited motionless while Obadiah buckled and unbuckled straps in the making and correction of his errors. Minutes passed and disaster threatened only when, in slipping the bit between the massive teeth, a couple of the manufacturer's fingers inadvertently attended the linked metal. Being asleep, the animal failed to take advantage of it.