mother, to hear her. How long's she goin' to stay?"

"Don't know," replied Shadrach, hastily. "That ain't settled yet."

"How'd you come to fetch her over here? You're the last ones I
ever thought would be fetchin' a child to visit you. Say, you ain't
cal'latin' to keep her for good, are you?"

Zoeth hesitated. Shadrach's answer was emphatic.

"Course not," he snapped. "What do Zoeth and me know about managin' a
child? Keep her for good, the idea!"

Isaiah chuckled. "'Cordin' to my notion," he said, "you wouldn't have
to know much. You wouldn't have to manage her. If she wasn't managin'
you--yes, and me, too--inside of a month, I'd miss my guess. She's a
born manager. You ought to see her handle them dolls and that cat."

When the two partners of Hamilton and Company went upstairs to their
own bedrooms they opened the door of the spare room and peeped in.
Mary-'Gusta's head and those of the dolls were in a row upon the pillow.
It was a strange sight in that room and that house.

"I declare!" whispered Zoeth. "And this mornin' we never dreamed of such
a thing. How long this day has been!"

"Judgin' by the state of my nerves and knees it's been two year,"
replied Shadrach. "I've aged that much, I swan to man. Humph! I wonder
if Marcellus knows what's happened."