“Like as not they won’t. I’m sort o’ in hopes they’ll think we’ve changed some,” returned Martin. He dropped upon a convenient ledge and pulled his sister down beside him.
“I’m afraid they won’t see much difference in me, but you’ve changed a whole lot,” Talitha declared proudly with a sidewise glance of the brown eyes. “Mother’ll notice it the first thing.”
“I guess you haven’t looked in the glass lately,” scoffed Martin, reddening at the implied praise. “You aren’t the same girl who left for school last fall with a pigtail hanging down her back and her dress ’most to her knees.”
“I s’pose I looked just as Lalla Ponder did when she started in this spring, and she’s changed a sight.” Talitha put up her hands to smooth the soft roll of wavy hair which had taken the place of the tight, girlish braid. A year had never made so much difference before.
“I’m going back in the fall,” suddenly announced Martin. “Aren’t you, Tally?”
“So far as I know, I am, but it all depends on mammy. It’ll be harder for me to leave than you, I reckon.” Talitha rose to her feet and adjusted her bundle knapsack-fashion across her shoulders. “We’ll make it before dark, I should say,” thinking of the rough mountain way yet to be traversed. They had left the train early that morning, and walked steadily since sunrise. Now it lacked a half-hour of noon.
Another steady climb and a descent, and the two found themselves on familiar ground. At their feet Goose Creek crept sluggishly. A footpath followed on the low, sloping bank like a persistent shadow until both were lost to sight in the curves of the foothills. Here in the cool shade of a tangled growth, close to the stream, brother and sister paused to eat their lunch, which Martin produced from his bundle. They would be at home in time for supper.
“I wonder if Si Quinn is going to teach the Goose Creek school this term?” Martin helped himself to a sandwich.
“I reckon so, but I wish he could go to Bentville long enough to get it out of his head that the earth is square. To think of his teaching us such foolishness!”
Martin shook his head. “It wouldn’t be of any use; he’s the greatest person to argufy. He’s got it all figured out that if the earth is round we’d all be rolled off into nothing. It would be ‘onpossible’ to stay on it.”