With swift steps he hurried to the front door and knocked upon it.

In answer a tall, unsmiling woman appeared, and said, "Well ?" David removed his cap as his father had taught him to do when one of the mountain women spoke to him.
"Good evening, lady; I'm David," he began frankly.

"My father is so tired he fell down back there, and we should like very much to stay with you all night, if you don't mind." The woman in the doorway stared.

For a moment she was dumb with amazement.

Her eyes swept the plain, rather rough garments of the boy, then sought the half-recumbent figure of the man by the roadside.