So she took a long look at me, and then ran to me and took both my hands in hers and pressed them--pressed them so that I remembered it always.
"Why, Teunis," she cried, "is it you?
I thought I was never going to see you again!" "Yes," I said, "it's me--it's me.

I came--" and then I stopped, bogged down.
"You came to see me," she said, "and I think you've waited long enough.
Only three friends in the world, you, and Mrs.Thorndyke, and Mr.
Thorndyke--and you off there on the prairie all these weeks and never came to see me--or us! Tell me about the farm, and the cows, and the new house--I've heard of it--and your foreigner friend, and all about it.

Have you any little calves ?" I was able to report that Spot, the heifer that we had such a time driving, had a little calf that was going to look just like its mother; and then I described to her the section of land--all but a little of it down in Hell Slew; and how I hoped to buy a piece across the line so as to have a real farm.

Pretty soon we were talking just as we used to talk back there east of Waterloo.
"I came to see you and Elder Thorndyke and his wife," I said, "because I'm going back to Dubuque to get a load of freight, and I thought I might bring something for you." "Oh," said she, "take me with you, Teunis, take me with you!" "Could you go ?" I asked, my heart in my mouth.
"No, oh, no!" she said.

"There's nobody in Kentucky for me to go to; and I haven't any money to pay my way with anyhow.