"Yes, and stay a bit with Ruth while I go out and smoke a pipe," said father.
Ben nodded and sat down at the table.
"Ruth," he began, when he had demolished a big slice of bread, "I feel somehow as if there had been a funeral. I s'pose it is 'cause we know Norme isn't coming back in ever so long. But say, won't he have just the beatinest time! We were looking up the places on the map. Norme was such a good fellow. I'm going to try to get in a store next year. Father says I may."
"That will be a nice thing."
"And over here, too. Then I can drop in just as Norme used to. Mother doesn't see what you're going to do alone. She'll be over to-morrow. Wouldn't it be a great scheme for you to move?"
"Oh, father couldn't move the ground and everything," I returned.
"No, I s'pose not." Then he laughed. "They're going to move some ground though come summer to fill up the slough. Dear me, I wish we had some mountains!"
I could recall some mountains in the old State we had come from, yet, somehow, I had begun to love the long stretch of prairie.
"Tell me what you are learning at school," I said, as I was putting away the supper things.
He was in full swing when there was a rap at the door. To my great surprise it was Mr. Abner Harris. He greeted Ben very cordially, and they began to talk about Norman at once, and what a splendid prospect he had before him.