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Burson led the roadster through the gate, and Mr. Anthony walked by his side. When the horse was tied, the two men went about the place, and Erastus showed his guest the poultry and fruit trees, commenting on the merits of Plymouth Rocks and White Leghorns as layers, and displaying modest pride in the condition of the orchard.

“I’ve kep’ it up better this year. The rains come along more favorable and the weeds didn’t get ahead of me the way they did last winter. Look out, there!” he cried, as Mr. Anthony laid his hand on the head of a Jersey calf that backed awkwardly from under his grasp. “Don’t let her get a hold of your coat-tail; she chawed mine to a frazzle the other day; the girls pet her so much she has no manners.”

When the tour of the little farm was finished the two men came back to the veranda, and Erastus drew a rocking-chair from the front room for his guest. It was hung with patchwork cushions of “crazy” design, but Mr. Anthony leaned his tired head against them in the sanest content.

“Now you just sit still a minute,” Erastus said, “and I’m a-going to bring you something you hain’t tasted for a long time.”

He darted into the house, and returned with a pitcher and two glasses.

“Sweet cider!” he announced, with a triumphant smile. “I had a lot of apples in the fall, not big enough to peddle,–you know our apples ain’t anything to brag of,–and I just rigged up a kind of hand-press in the back yard, and now and then I press out a pitcher of cider for Sunday. I never let it get the least bit hard; not that I don’t like a little tang to it myself, but mother belongs to the W.C.T.U., and it’d worry her.”

He darted into the house again, and emerged with a plate of brown twisted cakes.

“Mother usually makes cookies on Saturday, but I can’t find anything but these doughnuts. Maybe they won’t go bad with the cider.”

He poured his guest a glass, and Mr. Anthony drank it, holding a doughnut in one hand, and partaking of it with evident relish.

“It’s good, Burson,” he said. “May I have another glass and another doughnut?”

His host’s countenance fairly shone with delighted hospitality as he replenished the empty glass. There were crumbs on the floor when the visitor left, and flies buzzed about the empty plate and pitcher as Mrs. Burson and her daughters came up the steps.

“Mr. Anthony’s been here,” said Erastus cheerfully; “I’m awful sorry you missed him. We had some cider and doughnuts.”

The three women stopped suddenly, and stared at the speaker.

“Why, Paw Burson!” ejaculated the elder daughter, “did you give Mr. Anthony doughnuts and cider out here on this porch?”

“Why, yes, Millie,” apologized the father; “I looked for cookies, but I couldn’t find any. He said he liked doughnuts, and he did seem to relish ’em; he eat several.”

“That awful rich man! Why, Paw Burson!”

The young woman gave an awe-stricken glance about her, as if expecting to discover some lingering traces of wealth.

“Doughnuts!” she repeated helplessly.

“Why, Millie,” faltered the father, mildly aggressive, “I don’t see why being rich should take away a man’s appetite; I’m sure I hope I’ll never be too rich to like doughnuts and cider.”

“Didn’t you give him a napkin, paw?” queried the younger girl.

“No,” said the father meekly, “he had his handkerchief. I coaxed him to stay to dinner, but he couldn’t; and I asked him to drive out some day with his wife and daughter–he hasn’t but one–they lost a little girl when she was seven”–

The man’s voice quivered on the last word, and died away. Mrs. Burson went hurriedly into the house. She reappeared at the door in a few minutes without her bonnet.

“Erastus,” she said gently, “will you split me a few sticks of kindling before you put away the team?”