Annie said nothing then; but a day or
two after she ventured, --

"Perhaps it would be as well now, dear,
if we kept in the kitchen. I'll keep it as
bright and pleasant as I can. And, any-
way, you can be more about with me when
I'm working then. We'll lay a fire in the
front-room stove, so that we can light it if
anybody comes. We can just as well save
that much."

Jim looked up brightly. "All right," he
said. "You're a sensible little woman.
You see, every cent makes a difference.
And I want to be able to pay off five
hundred dollars of that mortgage this
year."

So, after that, they sat in the kitchen; and
the fire was laid in the front room, against
the coming of company. But no one came,
and it remained unlighted.

Then the season began to show signs of
opening, -- bleak signs, hardly recognizable
to Annie; and after that Jim was not much
in the house. The weeks wore on, and
spring came at last, dancing over the hills.
The ground-birds began building, and at