trunks."

Madison turned and walked over to where Mr. Higgins, beside the democrat
with a handful of chin whiskers, was observing the scene.

"Fine girl!" declared Mr. Higgins, as Helena, with the Patriarch's arm
in hers, disappeared inside the cottage. "'Pears she must have money,
an' I'm right glad 'count of the Patriarch--said her father an' mother
was dead an' she was alone in the world--them jewels she wore must have
cost a pile. Reckon she's been used to livin' kinder different from the
way folks down here do--hope 'tain't goin' to be so hard on her she
won't want to stay."

"I was thinking about that myself," said Madison gravely, knotting his
brows as he nodded his head. "There's no doubt it will be a big change
for her, but I imagine she had some sort of an idea what to expect--it
is certainly greatly to her credit that she would give up her own
interests unselfishly and come here to devote her life to the care of a
relative whom she had never seen before. I've an idea that the girl who
would do that is the kind of a girl who's got grit enough to see it
through."

"So she be," said Mr. Higgins heartily. "Ain't every one 'ud do it--not
by a heap!"

"I'll give you a hand with the trunks," said Madison thoughtfully.

They carried the large trunk between them into the cottage and, as
Helena called to them, down the little hallway past what Madison knew to
be the Patriarch's bedroom, and stopped before the next door, which was