Peter accepted my invitation and announced his arrival as ten days
later. Then real work began among Sam's friends and mine in Hayesboro.

I put the case to them plainly and movingly. Here was a young and
distinguished genius coming to settle down in Hayesboro to rescue his
play, and it was the duty of everybody to help him in every way. The
first thing he had to have was shelter, and we ought to all help Sam as
much as we could to provide it for him. He was willing to stay with us
for a few days, on mother's invitation, which I had to hide nine
crochet-needles to make her write him, but he wrote that his "spirit
panted for the wilderness," and if he felt that way about it he ought to
be settled in the cabin as soon as possible.

"Why, of course," said Julia, with large and responsive enthusiasm, "we
must just all turn in and help Sam. I never helped build a house, but if
you can, Betty, so can I."

"I can make curtains and things and cushions for chairs," said Edith,
with no less enthusiasm than Julia's. "I have a lovely bureau-scarf all
finished and--"

"Chairs--bureau!" I fairly gasped. "Neither Sam nor I had thought of
furniture. Sam paid a big note in the bank for the cows and mule, and
how can he buy more stock like chairs and bureaus and beds?"

"Why, hasn't Sam got furniture? The Crittenden house had the loveliest
in Hayesboro," asked Edith, plaintively.

"He's sold it; Sam is poor," I answered, proudly. "He hasn't got