I stayed all night as it happened, Nellie bein' tired, and Gram's room empty, and Isabel warmin' up later, and urgin' me.
The soldiers all went back to their camp after a while. 'Twas then I discovered how 'twas the old road I'd come by was so neglected. There was a cart-road in front of the Janses' that used to run down to the meadow. Now, I saw, as I watched the soldiers amble along it that it ran down to a brand new state high-way, that went past the encampment. You could see automobiles whizzin' by on it.
'Twa'n't till after we'd had some supper and Gramp had been put to bed, that I found out why Isabel had been so cordial 'bout Nellie and me stoppin' to supper. It was because of what was in my suit-cases! Would you believe it! She, who'd always spurned and shrugged up her shoulders at my things before!
I was settin' on the steps in front of the front door when she came down from puttin' Gramp to bed. I was smokin', gazin' out at the changed scene before me down in the valley, listenin' to the cheerful sounds it made, and thinkin' how different it all was from two years ago.
"Got your suit-cases with you, Edwin?" asked Isabel.
