her own part, Eliza was better pleased than otherwise with the arrangement of affairs. She regretted that Beth was cut off from intimate comp

f times. There were bushels of pop-corn and barrels of apples. When the weather was not too cold, they spent ho

wed braids and trimmed hats until their fingers were sore. They had quite a fine assortment before the

the work horses. During the coldest months these were taken to town to haul ice from the river to the big store houses, and so were unavail

place opposite Eliza and never looked in her direction. When Beth after services would have run after Rose, Mrs. Burtsch drew h

s raised to pay the minister's salary, Mrs. Burtsch ignored her neighbors of the old Wells place. Eliza

ad fluffed her hair and stuck sweet peas in it, Eliza had kept it so. The garden flowers had all gone. There were plenty of

weetest one at the pa

the overheated room had given her cheek

n to some one near him. "It's wonderful how she doe

"Old Sally Caldwell, her great aunt by marriage on her father's side, had just such high coloring and she was took off sudden as could be with galloping consumption. You can't tell me. Such things are

o with Eliza's going off unless she goes off with just plumb foolishness. We could all be blooming out and looking like young c

ason was over and the lights in the school-house were ready to be turned off. The weather had moderat

come over with his th

"You'uns folks is farthest out and you hain't go

s so tired that she can

ol-house with her basket over her arm. "I most forgot my potato

er climb in and we'll carry you home. Always room for one mo

not already crowded to its full capacity, was occupied by Eliza a

squire. I'll keep to Shank's mare yet awhile. I'll

's a right fool thing to walk two miles on a night like this when you could just as well ride.

p for discussion. They meant to put their theories into practice, but somehow they never got around to it. He knew when sauer-kraut should be made and just how it should be made. He got as far in working it out as to have his cabbage piled on the back po

ope nothing has happened to Mary Jane

nt me over to get the lend of your kraut-

The cutter's out in the wash-house. You

ter work to do on the chicken-coop. But last night, the cold nipped the top layer of the cabbage heads, so Mary Jane s

claimed Eliza. "Wha

e doctor from the Bend. The parson's been to see her. She's right bad. Somebody's

aut cutter. There was no questio

ck in time for dinner. You can take some bread and milk. I don't want you to fuss w

s generally out of bread and never made jelly, or canned what she called "truck". Eliza knew how she would find matters in the Burtsch

gy or explaining when she e

d that you're laid up. Have

n some, but I could

n't be expected of you. I'

g up. Dishes were piled high on every available space of the table. The floor was slippery with grease. The frying pan with bits of what had bee

women had been kind, but they had their families and households

n the very few hours she had and prepared dinner for Lemuel Burtsch. She knew what his meals must have been if he had had the preparation of them himself. She was

nt askew. Mrs. Burtsch worried about the child's doing withou

at the dinner table. He looked about bewildered. He had never been the head of hi

ss Eliza, and her mother always calculated not t

is no help, I'll take her home with me and take care of her

nds for helping other folks out and you're a chip from the old b

ild's mother was quite as

s. Houston had come over to "set" for a spell and promised to see to

om the house and down to the gate to meet them. She flung her arms about Adee's

elen and I made about a million hats. They're

We'll have it early. Beth has had only a bowl of

e girls had examined the hats in the attic and commented on the grace and elegance of several.

t. It cost an awful lot," and so on and so on, petty details of other people's affairs which

uy," suggested Beth. She had learned this particular "stunt" from Helen Reed wh

eeded to pin a half of a curtain to the tail of her gown. Then she pra

keeper and I'll be t

o act. They don't act like just common, every-day people." Beth paraded up and down, spreading her trai

There was more than childish teasing in the speaker's voice. There was

ll my life. Oh, ain't this train perfectly 'kertish'?" a

d better look in the looking-glass. For

t remark. Quick as a flash, she stepped into the room and, seizing Ros

er, Beth, dear. Rose and I

d led her to a bedroom on the second floor, where she took her in and sa