Bountiful, with Princess and the hens. I think Helen put him up to it. She
always thinks in royal terms of affluence."




CHAPTER III

KIT RISES TO PROPHESY


The morning after the fire found the family at breakfast over with the
Judge's family. It was impossible as yet for the girls to feel the full
reaction over their loss. As the Judge remarked, youth responds to change
and variety quicker than any new interest, and they were already planning
a wonderful reconstruction period. Kit and Billy rode down on horseback to
look at the ruins, and came back with an encouraging report. The back of
the house was badly damaged, but the main building stood intact, though
the charred clapboards and wide vacant windows looked desolate enough.

"Thank goodness the wind was from the south, and blew the flames away from
the pines," said Kit, dropping into her chair, hungrily. "Doesn't it seem
good to get some of Cousin Roxy's huckleberry pancakes again, girls? Oh
yes, we met my prisoner--I should say, my erstwhile prisoner--on the road.
He was tapping chestnut trees over on Peck's Hill like a woodpecker. You
needn't laugh, Doris, 'cause Billie saw him too, didn't you, Bill? And
he's got a sweet forgiving nature. He doffed his hat to me and I smiled
back just as though I'd never caught him in our berry patch, and had Shad
lock him up in the corn-crib."