The doors at both ends of the barn stood wide open, and through one of them, framed like a picture, we could see the scudding floods descend upon the meadows, and through the other, across a fine stretch of open country, we could see all the roads glistening and the treetops moving under the rain.
"Fine, fine!" exclaimed Mr.Stanley, looking out from time to time, "we got in our potatoes just in the nick of time." After supper that evening I told them of my plan to leave them on the following morning.
"Don't do that," said Mrs.Stanley heartily; "stay on with us." "Yes," said Mr.Stanley, "we're shorthanded, and I'd be glad to have a man like you all summer.

There ain't any one around here will pay a good man more'n I will, nor treat 'im better." "I'm sure of it, Mr.Stanley," I said, "but I can't stay with you." At that the tide of curiosity which I had seen rising ever since I came began to break through.

Oh, I know how difficult it is to let the wanderer get by without taking toll of him! There are not so many people here in the country that we can afford to neglect them.

And as I had nothing in the world to conceal, and, indeed, loved nothing better than the give and take of getting acquainted, we were soon at it in good earnest.
But it was not enough to tell them that my name was David Grayson and where my farm was located, and how many acres there were, and how much stock I had, and what I raised.

The great particular "Why ?"--as I knew it would be--concerned my strange presence on the road at this season of the year and the reason why I should turn in by chance, as I had done, to help at their planting.