CHAPTER IX.
THE OLD CAPTAIN.
"Let--me--see!" said Farmer Hartley, as he gathered up the reins and turned old Nancy's head towards the village, while Hildegarde, on the seat beside him, turned back to wave a merry farewell to Nurse Lucy, who stood smiling in the porch.

"Let--me--see! Hev you ben off the farm before, Huldy, sence you kem here ?" "Not once!" replied Hilda, cheerily.

"And I don't believe I should be going now, Farmer Hartley, if it were not for Pink's hat.

I promised myself that she should not wear that ugly straw sun-bonnet again.

I wonder why anything so hideous was ever invented." "A straw bunnit, do ye mean ?" said the farmer; "somethin' like a long sugar-scoop, or a tunnel like ?" "Yes, just that!" said Hilda; "and coming down over her poor dear eyes so that she cannot see anything, except for a few inches straight before her." "Wal!" said the farmer, meditatively, "I remember when them bunnits was considered reel hahnsome.