don't see how we can rig out the boy, but there's those old things of
Marthy's in the attic; seems like it might be a blessin' on 'em if we
used 'em this way."

"I thought of it myself in the night," answered Vilda briefly. "You'll
find the key of the trunk in the light stand drawer. You see to the
children, and I'll get breakfast on the table. Has Jabe come?"

"No; he sent a boy to milk, 'n' said he'd be right along. You know what
that means!"

Miss Vilda moved about the immaculate kitchen, frying potatoes and
making tea, setting on extra portions of bread and doughnuts and a huge
pitcher of milk; while various noises, strange enough in that quiet
house, floated down from above.

"This is dreadful hard on Samanthy," she reflected. "I don't know 's I'd
ought to have put it on her, knowing how she hates confusion and
company, and all that; but she seemed to think we'd got to tough it out
for a spell, any way; though I don't expect her temper 'll stand the
strain very long."

The fact was, Samantha was banging doors and slatting tin pails about
furiously to keep up an ostentatious show of ill humor. She tried her
best to grunt with displeasure when Gay, seated in a wash-tub, crowed
and beat the water with her dimpled hands, so that it splashed all over
the carpet; but all the time there was such a joy tugging at her
heart-strings as they had not felt for years.

When the bath was over, clean petticoats and ankle-ties were chosen out