to the stranger. "You mean to keep them things?"

He was honestly sorry for her, as the business man for the
sentimentalist, but he had made a good bargain, and he held it sacred.

"I declare, I wish it hadn't happened so," he said, good-naturedly.
"But the old lady'll get over it. You buy her a nice bright little
nickel clock that'll strike the half-hours, and she'll be tickled to
death to watch it."

Amanda turned away and walked out of the house.

"Here," called Chapman, "come back and get your money!" But she hurried
on. "Well, I'll leave it with Captain Jabez," he called again, "and you
can come over and get it. I'm going in the morning, early."

Amanda was passing the barn, and there, through the open door, she saw
the old clock pathetically loaded on the light wagon, protected by
burlap, and tied with ropes. The coverlets lay beside it. A sob rose in
her throat, but her eyes were dry, and she hurried across lots home. At
the back door she found Caleb unharnessing the horse. She had forgotten
their misunderstanding in the present practical emergency.

"O Caleb," she began, before she had reached him, "ma'am's sold the
clock an' some coverlids, an' I can't get 'em back!"

"Cap'n Jabez said she had, this arternoon," said Caleb, slowly, tying a
trace. "I dunno's the old lady's to blame. Seem's if she hadn't ought
to be left alone."