"It's from you I got my good sense," said old Tom approvingly, and went
off in search of his wife, while the clever old lady pondered deep
schemes.

"Here's the way of it, Nancy," she said, when Mrs. Hamon came in. "He's
crazy on these silver mines, and he's willing to pay out our dowers,
yours and mine, so that he may throw the rest into the big holes at Port
Gorey. Ch'est b'en! Your money and mine take more than half of what he
gets. If you'll put yours to mine I'll make up the difference from what
I've saved, and we'll retraite the farm, and it shall go to Nance and
Bernel when the time comes."

"I can't help thinking it's rather hard on Tom," suggested Mrs. Hamon,
with less vigour than before.

The idea appealed strongly to her maternal feelings and she had suffered
much from Tom; still her instinct for right was there and was not to be
stifled with a word.

"If you feel so when the time comes we could divide it among them, and
till then Tom would have to behave himself," said the wily old lady,
with a chuckle.

That again appealed strongly to Mrs. Hamon.

"Yes, I think I would agree to that," she said, after thinking it all
over.

All things considered, Grannie's scheme was an excellent one and worthy
of her.