it, lost holt, and went down kersplash into the deepest part of the pool. Zeb and the other boys waited jest long 'nough to see the Elder fish him out, gaspin' and sputterin'. The old feller shook him dry, all right, but when the little chap caught up with the other boys most home he showed 'em his pockits stuffed with apples, them good folks had gi'n 'im." "They might 'ave ben wuss, wuss," whispered kind Mr. Bowles, as his wife paused to measure on her finger, the length of the stocking-leg she was knitting.

"They might have ben more levelheaded too," she resumed, tartly. "Howsomever, late in the fall, some hunters from down below, come trapesin' over the mountain and lost themselves. 'T was a bright moonlight night, hunter's moon you know, but they was pesky glad to strike a clearin'. They couldn't seem to rouse nobuddy at the fust two cabins, so they went on, thinkin' the folks was all gone to a huskin', likely. But the third cabin-door stood wide open with the moonlight shining still and solemn on the white floor, like candle-light on a dead face. Wal, them bold hunters never stopt ag'in till they got to the old Kinsman place. There, settin'round a bright fire they told how every house in the hull clearin' was left stark and alone. 'T was news to ev'rybuddy. But some one hollered, 'Bet a hooky, they've all went and jined the big Mormon exodus; I was readin' about it in my last Mornin' Star.' And they had. They'd exodustid, all right. They had left twenty-five year of homebuildin' behind; and, nobuddy's I know on, has ever heered from one on 'em sence. Now I'm goin' to set the heel of this 'ere stockin'."

With many thanks for the story, and for Stephen's bit of history, as well, Mr. Norris soon followed Mr. Bowles, Stephen and Elijah to the barn. "The farmers' appropriate withdrawing room," thought Sally,

envious at the thought of wide-flung doors and bays piled high, but soon merrily employed in the fragrant depths of the milk-room, helping Liddy "lift and turn" the cheese. In like simple pleasures passed the closing hours of the "all day visit."

It was late bed-time at the farm. Elijah and Phib, refusing to follow Stephen into the close attic chamber, were stretched upon the grassy bank, below the barn; while their father, after bathing his tired feet at the old trough, had cast his length upon the ground by the South door. Mandy had brought out her low chair to the door-rock, and sat by, knitting; she needed small light for "sich work." The two were quietly chatting.

"How the Elder did enjoy my blackb'ry short-cake for supper," remarked Mandy. "He'd e't two pieces, if Liddy's custud pie hadn't ben on the table. But where, under the sun, did you and Lige and him go to, his dandy mare hitched to our buck-board? Kept supper waitin'

too."

"Not for long, Mandy. It might"Where'd ye go, and what did ye go for, is what I asked ye."

"I was on the p'int of tellin' ye Mandy." said Josiah, meekly offended.

"We driv up over the Ridge, to Square Parker's. I wanted to see 'im on a little marter o' law. There ain't no better man to go to, in these parts, for law and justice, then Square Parker of Sugar Hill. I told the Elder so."

"He knows that; ev'rybuddy does. But, what the Elder and his mare, and you, went for, is what I'm after." Mandy's needles stabbed viciously.

"Wal', to tell it as it is," here Mr. Bowles' voice dropped confidentially, "the Elder is in somethin' of a fix, amongst a parcil o' wimmin folks, down to the works."

"Siah! I don't believe it."

"There, there, Mother, its only, they've took a notion lately, to

borry the minister's hoss an' rig, to go to Littleton with, ev'ry time they git mad to the store, or want to spite young Letty's bunnit shop. Course

the Elder don't make it his business, what they go for, but they are nigh sp'ilin' as good a piece of hoss-flesh, as ther' is in the County. The critter's all ga'ntid up a'ready. They're spreadin' it on too tarnal thick."

"No need swearin' about it," remarked Mrs. Bowles, stiffly.

He sighed. "Tarnal's my wust word, Mandy, and you knowit. 'T ain't adornin' my perfession, but it seems tho'f some fitting word ought to be 'lowable-at times."

"Go on," said Mandy.

"I can see how'st the Elder, bein' a minister so, can't say 'No' to a parcil o' fool wimmin, same as I could; and I ain't so sartain as I could, come case in hand." A derisive snort from his wife. "But as I was goin' to tell you," he went on, "the Elder wants me to buy his mare and promise never to trade her out of the fam'ly. He's hear'n tell, I'm marster kind to my critters; how I've walked up and down these 'ere hills, year after year, ruther'n have a hoss of mine stand out shiverin', at twenty below, or so, while I'm warmin' up in the prayermeetin'."

"What's he askin' for his mare?" Mandy was interested. "More than we can give, of course, seein' she's a bloodid Morgan."

"His price is oncommon reasonable," seems to me, "Woman."

"Him bein' a minister, you took her, at fust offer, prob'ly. Just like ye.” "No, I didn't."

"Why didn't ye? Mark my word, Hod Knight will have that mare. He's always ben wantin' her. And he ain't cold merlasses. He's got gump. All of Deacon Thomas' boys is smarter'n lightnin'."

"I guesss you're pretty tired, Mandy. But as I said, I told the Elder, (and he thought I'd better) I'd talk the trade over with you, 'fore

we clinched it. If you hadn't liked it, you'd sartin have put your foot in it."

"Prob'ly I should." The woman's wearied and slightly regretful tone was unlike herself. Her man was sitting near her now, with knees drawn up, his long arms encircling them, his head with its shock of grizzled hair bowed low. She looked at him in the dim light and repeated, "Prob'ly I should."

"Josiah Bowles," after minutes of silence, "I do wish it was in ye to make your own trades, and stick to 'em, spite of me or any other woman upsettin' 'em."

"I've wished so, many's the time," groaned the man. Then lifting his head he continued, "But, Mandy, ye got the upper hand; you was too bright and sparklin' to be ha'sh to ye. I didn't know you had it in ye, to be so-so hard and usarpin' like. I ain't no coward' mong beast-critters, the men will all tell you that, but wimmin-folks is dif'runt—, some. So you've had the manigemint of me in your own hauds, mostly; I've ben standin' round lookin' on; I ain't a mite prouder of the man you've made for yourself, then you talk as tho'f you was, sometimes. But that ain't what I set out to tell ye. Old Man Stinson, was down in the field this mornin'."

"What did he want? Whinin' about the mo'gige, likely."

"No, Mandy, he come clean over, to tell me he had heered from Alic. He's in Californy. Digging out gold by the harnfull, by this time prob❜ly. That's what Jim Oakes's boy is tellin' round. He's jest come back from the "diggins" with a mint o'money they say. Oakes says, when he was comin' out of the "diggins", as fur as Nevady City, he met two clean, husky men goin' in. One of them was our Alic."

Here came an angry snarl from Mandy, met with manly defiance; "Yis, I'll say it ag'in, our Alic.

He sent word by Jim's boy to his father, and said he'd write if he ever struck luck. Oakes says, ther's gold enough. It all depends on what kind. of a feller the feller is that goes inter the "diggins" after it. Some finds it too easy, and goes fool crazy and gits rid of it jist as easy; some can't use no patience on a slow claim, but quit it for the other feller to git rich on, while they go huntin' round, wastin' spunk. But that ain't Our Alic. He's got a head on him. You can trust him anywheres. God bless the boy tonight, wherever he is." The greying head bowed again and the shrunken shoulders heaved.

"Josiah Bowles," never was his wife's voice colder, never more unsympathizing, never harder. "I understand what ye're drivin' at, and I've jes this one thing to say to ye. If ever that boy shows himself back here, no matter if his pockits is lined with gold inside and out, he, nor no other Stinson shall come nigh a darter o'mine. I told him to his face, and I meant it too, that before he should have my Ploomy, to help him. bear his family's disgrace and shif'lissniss, I'd lay her in her coffin, with my own hands. Her aunt Ploomy 'scaped lots of mis'ry dyin' young." "Did ye hear that noise, Mandy? Sounded as tho'f somebbuddy's fell down, up charmber."

"Liddy puttin' down the winder, likely, to keep the smoke out; its growin' smokier ev'ry minute, seems So, was the undisturbed response.

There was a prolonged sigh and the weary man, by the aid of his muscular hands and long arms, swung and lifted himself easily from his low seat, standing a moment, trying to penetrate the thickening gloom, he said in his usual mild tone, "Now, I guess I'll go down to the barn and see how the critters are standin'.

Don't forgit it's the night to wind the clock, Mandy."

'Did ye ever know me to forgit it?" she called after the man, lurching away in the darkness. She still continued knitting rapidly for a time; then letting her work lie idly upon her lap, she leaned forward, listening. A weird tone was rising and falling in tuneful, mournful. cadence. It came from the barn chamber.

"Siah's prayin'," muttered the woman with grim lips. "I knew he would. Nothin' can' stop 'im, though it's never 'mounted to shucks, as I can see. He wouldn't be Siah Bowles without prayin'. Wonder what he would ben, livin' with me all these years. But, no matter, Mandy Bowles, you ain't goin' to weaken nor soften on his accoun, nor nobuddy elses. Graves ain't the wust of troubles by a long shot. No, they's peaceful compared with some kinds of livin'. My harnsome little Ploomy ain't going to be dragged through this 'ere world, in no down-at-theheels fam'ly, not if I know it. I'd ruther die with 'er. O Ploomy," she continued, half aloud, "many is the time, I wish I could go long with ye, if you've got to go; but I'm so well to livin; and ther's so many things for me to see to, and I ain't-noways ready. But the taste of livin' is all gone; all gone."

She wound up her knitting, stabbing her needles into the ball of yarn, and turned and reentered the house. A loud outcry from the boys stayed her step.

"A big fire on the mountain," they were shouting.

High on the opposite heights, beyond the deep, narrow valley, a lurid blaze was struggling through clouds of mounting smoke.

(To be continued)

Last October, what is conceded to be the widest paved street in New England-and few will deny that it is also one of the most beautifulwas opened to traffic on Main Street in our business district, where it is 140 feet between curbs, after laying a modern reinforced-concrete pavement.

Due to lack of maintenance brought about by war conditions, our streets, like those of other municipalities, approached ruin to an extent that meant practically a reconstruction of the whole, without any salvage of the remnants, as they were worn below their uppers-so to speak; and there was a lack of stability in the base that would scarcely permit of patching that would withstand motor traffic any length of time.

Therefore, it became necessary to pave these worn-out streets with concrete, which eliminates costly maintenance in war or peace.

In 1920, an appropriation of $18,000 was made for permanent highways, but owing to the impossibility of obtaining materials early enough to complete the work before cold weather the work was deferred. Last year the Honorable Mayor and gentlemen of the Highway committee, after careful investigation and scrutiny of all types of roads, again selected cement-concrete paving as the most durable type within our financial means and, accordingly 12,560 square yards of reinforced-concrete pavement of the most up to date type was put under contract with the Portland Construction Company of Portland, Me., at $2.58 per square yard, which included all materials in place and all excavation to the depth of the pavement.

The above yardage was laid on Court street, South Main and Main street; also a considerable amount of concrete integral curbing.

On the beautiful grass plots that park each side of South Main street stand the celebrated giant elms for which this city is noted and mentioned all over the country-choicest ornaments of which we are proud. In this charming city there are 5,000 magnificent elms embraced within a radius of one mile from the soldiers' monument in Central Square. new and excellent reinforced-concrete pavement has enhanced the appearance of our down town district; has brought light into the darkness; and has made a strikingly attractive thoroughfare every where it is laida thing of beauty, a joy forever.

The

On South Main street, where it is well shaded by the stately elms, prior to concreting, the street surface was annoyingly muddy because it would not dry out, as the grade is very flat; but after these slabs were laid the street was easily kept clean and sanitary, as the surface water is afforded a quick run-off by the smooth, even and gritty concrete. This is one of the good points of concrete surfaces on flat gutter grades, where leaves in the fall will clog if permitted to accumulate.

All of our Reinforced-Concrete is seven inches in thickness, containing steel mesh; all transverse joints contain pre-moulded bituminous filler to provide for expansion; the mixture is one part Portland cement to two parts sand and three parts crushed New Hampshire granite, clean and uniformly well graded. Half of the 140 feet width on Main Street was laid at a time

per bag of cement into the mixer and placed two inches in thickness on the surface to define the safety lanes. A considerable area of vitrified brick supported by concrete. foundation was removed and replaced with the superior reinforced-concrete in order to lay to the established grade. Wide granite block gutters that were rough in surface and almost impossible to keep clean and sanitary were removed and replaced by new concrete paving which furnishes an

for which our state is celebrated. For years we have been exporting our granite all over the country, and for years we have been importing fancy trap rock from Massachusetts for the macadam type of roads, a type that is now outworn by our heavily increased modern traffic. The principal reason why Our New Hampshire granite is not used for macadam road surfacing is because it pulverizes under ten ton rollers, thereby preventing proper penetra