Topping the brow of a little hill the wagon came to a smooth downward grade where the road met the quaint old bridge that spanned Little Bill Creek, beside which stood the antiquated flour and feed mill that had given Millville its name.  The horses were able to maintain their brisk trot across the bridge and through the main street of the town, which was merely a cluster of unimposing frame buildings, that lined either side of the highway for the space of an ordinary city block.  Then they were in the wilds again and rattling over another cobblestone trail.

“This ‘ere country’s nuth’n’ but pine woods ‘n’ cobblestones,” sighed old Hucks, as the horses subsided to a walk.  “Lor’ knows what would ‘a’ happened to us without the trees!  They saves our grace, so’s to speak.”

“I think the scenery is beautiful,” observed Patsy.  “It’s so different from other country places.”

“Not much farming around here, I imagine,” said Arthur Weldon.

“More than you’d think, sir,” replied Thomas.  “There’s certain crops as thrives in stony land, an’ a few miles north o’ here, towards Huntingdon, the soil’s mighty rich ‘n’ productive.  Things ain’t never as bad as they seem in this world, sir,” he added, turning his persistently smiling face toward the young man.

Mr. Merrick sat beside the driver on the front seat.  The middle seat was occupied by Patsy and Beth, between whom squeezed little Mary, the maid.  Louise and Arthur had the back seat.

A quarter of a mile beyond the town they came to a sort of lane running at right angles with the turnpike, and down this lane old Hucks turned his team.  It seemed like a forbidding prospect, for ahead of them loomed only a group of tall pines marking the edge of the forest, yet as they came nearer and made a little bend in the road the Wegg farm suddenly appeared in view.  The house seemed so cozy and homelike, set upon its green lawn with the tall pines for a background, that the girls, who knew the place well, exclaimed with delight, and Arthur, who now saw it for the first time, nodded his head approvingly.

Uncle John was all excitement over the arrival at his country home.  An old fashioned stile was set in a rail fence which separated the grounds from the lane, and Hucks drew up the wagon so his passengers could all alight upon the step of the stile.  Patsy was out at a bound.  Louise followed more deliberately, assisted by her boy husband, and Beth came more sedately yet.  But Uncle John rode around to the barn with Thomas, being eager to see the cows and pigs and poultry with which the establishment was liberally stocked.

The house was of two stories, the lower being built of cobblestones and the upper of pine slabs; but it had been artistically done and the effect was delightful.  It was a big, rambling dwelling, and Mr. Merrick had furnished the old place in a lavish manner, so that his nieces would lack no modern comfort when they came there to spend a summer.