I can support my own father and mother without their working for a
living!"

"But it's money, William, that they want. Don't you see?"

"Well, we'll give them money, then. I always have, anyway,--when they
asked for it," finished William in an aggrieved voice.

Sarah Ellen shook her head.

"It won't do," she sighed. "It might have done once--but not now.
They've got to the point where they just can't accept money doled out to
them like that. Why, just think, 't was all theirs once!"

"Well, 'tis now--in a way."

"I know--but we haven't acted as if it were. I can see that now, when
it's too late."

"We'll give it back, then," cried William, his face clearing; "the whole
blamed farm!"

Sarah Ellen frowned. She shook her head slowly, then paused, a dawning
question in her eyes.

"You don't suppose--William, could we?" she cried with sudden eagerness.

"Well, we can try mighty hard," retorted the man grimly. "But we've got
to go easy, Sarah Ellen,--no bungling. We've got to spin some sort of a
yarn that won't break, nor have any weak places; and of course, as far