"Well, what do you think o' that!" said June wonderingly.

Before them a big mountain loomed, and a few minutes later, at the
mouth of the Gap, Hale stopped and turned his horse sidewise.

"There we are, June," he said.

June saw the lovely little valley rimmed with big mountains. She
could follow the course of the two rivers that encircled it by the
trees that fringed their banks, and she saw smoke rising here and
there and that was all. She was a little disappointed.

"It's mighty purty," she said, "I never seed"--she paused, but
went on without correcting herself--"so much level land in all my
life."

The morning mail had just come in as they rode by the post-office
and several men hailed her escort, and all stared with some wonder
at her. Hale smiled to himself, drew up for none and put on a face
of utter unconsciousness that he was doing anything unusual. June
felt vaguely uncomfortable. Ahead of them, when they turned the
corner of the street, her eyes fell on a strange tall red house
with yellow trimmings, that was not built of wood and had two sets
of windows one above the other, and before that Hale drew up.

"Here we are. Get down, little girl."

"Good-morning!" said a voice. Hale looked around and flushed, and
June looked around and stared--transfixed as by a vision from