give to either of you that it may suit. That you can settle
between you when you come. It is rather a large house, and Mrs.
Ledwith's family is larger, I think, than yours. The estate is
worth ten thousand dollars, and I will give the same sum to the
one who prefers, to put into a house elsewhere. I wish you to
reckon this as all you are ever to expect from me, except the
regard I am willing to believe I may come to have for you. I
shall look to hear from you by the end of the week.

"I remain, yours truly,

"TITUS OLDWAYS."

"Luclarion!" cried Mrs. Ripwinkley, with excitement, "come here and
help me think!"

"Only four days to make my mind up in," she said again, when
Luclarion had read the letter through.

Luclarion folded it and gave it back.

"It won't take God four days to think," she answered quietly; "and
you can ask _Him_ in four minutes. You and I can talk afterwards."
And Luclarion got up and went away a second time into the kitchen.

That night, after Diana and Hazel were gone to bed, their mother and
Luclarion Grapp had some last words about it, sitting by the
white-scoured kitchen table, where Luclarion had just done mixing
bread and covered it away for rising. Mrs. Ripwinkley was apt to
come out and talk things over at this time of the kneading. She