anybody to hear folks talk sometimes would think they were
blood-relations to old secretaries and bureaus."

Mrs. Maxwell screwed her face contemptuously, as if the talking folk
were before her, and there was a pause. The young man looked across
at Lois, then turned to her mother, as if about to speak, but his
aunt interposed.

"Esther," said she, "I jest wanted to ask you if there wa'n't two of
them old swell-front bureaus in the north chamber upstairs."

"I guess there is," replied Mrs. Field. She sat leaning forward
toward her callers, with her face fairly strained into hospitable
attention.

"Well, I wanted to know. I ain't come beggin', an' I'd 'nough sight
rather have a good clean new one, but I'm kind of short of bureau
drawers, an' I'd kind of like to have it because 'twas Thomas'. I
wonder if you wouldn't jest as soon I'd have one of them bureaus?"

Mrs. Field's face gleamed suddenly. "You can have it jest as well as
not," said she.

"Well, there's another thing. I kind of hate to speak about it. Flora
said I shouldn't; but I said I would, whether or no. I know you'd
rather I would. There's a set of blue china dishes that Nancy, that's
Thomas' wife, you know, always said Flora should have when she got
done with them. Thomas, he never said anything about it after Nancy
died. I didn't know but he might make mention of it in the will. But
we all know how that was. I ain't findin' no fault, an' I ain't