“It appears to me that you might see that I have,” replied Hannah plainly.

“Well, no; seems to me, my dear, you’re the same as you allers was, both as to looks and as to temper.”

“I feel that I am very much changed.  And so are you, Reuben!  How gray your hair is!” she said, looking critically at her old admirer.

“Gray!  I believe you!  Ain’t it though?” exclaimed Reuben, smiling, and running his fingers through his blanched locks.

“But you haven’t told me all about yourself, yet; where you have been living; how you have been getting along, and what brought you back to this part of the country,” said Hannah, with an air of deep interest.

“Why, Hannah, my dear, didn’t you know all how and about it?”

“No; I heard long ago, of course, that you had got a place as overseer on the plantation of some rich gentleman up in the forest; but that was all; I never even heard the name of the place or the master.”

“Well, now, that beats all!  Why, Hannah, woman, as soon as I got settled, I set down and writ you a letter, and all how and about it, and axed you, if ever you changed your mind about what—­about the—­about our affairs, you know—­to drop me a line and I’d come and marry you and the child, right out of hand, and fetch you both to my new home.”

“I never got the letter.”

“See that, now!  Everything, even the post, goes to cross a feller’s love!  But Hannah, woman, if you had a-got the letter, would you a-called me back?” asked Gray eagerly.

“No, Reuben, certainly not,” said Hannah decidedly.

“Then it is just as well you didn’t get it,” sighed this most faithful, though most unfortunate of suitors.

“Yes; just as well, Reuben,” assented Hannah; “but that fact does not lessen my interests in your fortunes, and as I never got the letter I am still ignorant of your circumstances.”

“Well, Hannah, my dear, I’m thankful as you feel any interest in me at all; and I’ll tell you everything.  Let me see, what was it you was wanting to know, now? all about myself; where I was living; how I was getting along; and what fotch me back here; all soon told, Hannah, my dear.  First about myself:  You see, Hannah, that day as you slammed the door in my face I felt so distressed in my mind as I didn’t care what on earth became of me; first I thought I’d just ’list for a soldier; then I thought I’d ship for a sailor; last I thought I’d go and seek my fortun’ in Californy; but then the idea of the girls having no protector but myself hindered of me; hows’evar, anyways I made up my mind, as come what would I’d leave the neighborhood first opportunity; and so, soon after, as I heard of a situation as overseer at Judge Merlin’s plantation up in the forest of Prince George’s County, I sets off and walks up there, and offers myself for the place; and was so fort’nate as to be taken; so I comes back and moves my family, bag and baggage, up there.  Now as to the place