Westervelt were on my mind; so I stopped the plow and after
Magnus and I had built my house and made a lot of hay in the marsh, I
began to think of going back after my live stock. I planned to travel
light with one span to Westervelt's, pick up another yoke of cows, go on
to Dubuque for a load of freight for Monterey Centre, and come back,
bringing the rest of my herd with me on the return. When I went to "the
Centre," as we called it, I waited until I saw Grandma Thorndyke go down
to the store, and then tapped at their door. I thought they might want
me to bring them something. They were living in a little house by the
public square, where the great sugar maples stand now. These trees were
then little beanpoles with tufts of twigs at the tops.
2
Virginia Royall came to the door, as I sort of suspected she might. At
first she started back as if she hardly knew me. Maybe she didn't; for
Magnus Thorkelson had got me to shaving, and with all that gosling's
down off my face, I suppose I looked older and more man-like than
before. So she took a long look at me, and then ran to me and took both
my hands in hers and pressed them--pressed them so that I remembered
it always.
"Why, Teunis," she cried, "is it you? I thought I was never going to see
you again!"
"Yes," I said, "it's me--it's me. I came--" and then I stopped, bogged
down.
"You came to see me," she said, "and I think you've waited long enough.
Only three friends in the world, you, and Mrs.
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