"Lad," said Mr. Devering enthusiastically, "we're going to get that twist out without leaving a curve."
"How, Uncle Jim? Oh! how will you do it?"
"I'll give the young tree such a shock that it will toss up its head to the sky in order to know what is going to happen to it."
"Uncle, if you don't speak soon I think I'll go crazy," said my poor young master.
"Your mother loved trees," said Mr. Devering musingly. "I know she is glad that you have changed in your feeling toward them."
"They're green brothers and sisters," said Dallas, "and when winter comes they will be nice old grandmothers and grandfathers. Uncle, I belong to the wild things. I don't want to live in a city. What shall I do?"
"Keep on brothering the trees. Your father is like you. He, too, loves the country and God's free unpolluted air."
"My father loves the country," repeated the boy in amazement. "I never knew that."
"He never had time to tell you. He was too busy chasing the almighty dollar. Now he has lifted his eyes to the hills. He will never live in a city again."