"Pretty well, thank you, sir," responded Bab, politely nodding back at him.
"Folks at home?" asked the man, looking over their heads toward the house.
"Only Ma; all the rest are gone to be married."
"That sounds lively. At the other place all the folks had gone to a funeral," and the man laughed as he glanced at the big house on the hill.
"Why, do you know the Squire?" exclaimed Bab, much surprised and re-assured.
"Come on purpose to see him. Just strolling round till he gets back," with an impatient sort of sigh.
"Betty thought you was a tramp, but I wasn't afraid. I like tramps ever since Ben came," explained Bab, with her usual candor.
"Who's Ben?" and the man came nearer so quickly that Betty nearly fell backward. "Don't you be scared, Sissy. I like little girls, so you set easy and tell me about Ben," he added, in a persuasive tone, as he leaned on the gate, so near that both could see what a friendly face he had in spite of its eager, anxious look.
"Ben is Miss Celia's boy. We found him almost starved in the coach-house, and he's been living near here ever since," answered Bab, comprehensively.
"Tell me all about it. I like tramps too," and the man looked as if he did, very much, as Bab told the little story in a few childish words that were better than a much more elegant account.