Mrs. Kimper seemed to be in a mournful revery, and when finally she
spoke it was in the voice of a woman talking to herself, as she said,--

"After all I've been layin' up in my mind about places where there was
potatoes an' chickens an' pigs an' even turkeys that could be got an'
nobody'd be any the wiser! How will we ever get along through the
winter?"

"The Lord will provide," croaked Tom, who had often sat under the
church window during a revival meeting.

"If He don't, we'll do without," said Sam, "but I guess we won't suffer
while I can work."

"Dad converted!" muttered Tom. "Dad converted! d'ye hear that?" said
he, hitting his brother to attract attention. "I must go down to the
hotel an' tell Jane; she'll steal me a glass of beer for it. Converted!
I'll be ashamed to look the boys in the face."




CHAPTER III.


The Kimper family thinned out, numerically, as soon as the frugal
evening meal was despatched. Tom and Billy disappeared separately
without remark; Mary put on a small felt hat which added a rakish air
to her precocious face, and said she was going to the hotel to see if
sister Jane had any news. Half an hour later, the cook, all the