h mother. Of course the interest of
her share will not pay her board anywhere else, but we shall take
turns in keeping her, for that, besides making her presents of
clothing."

"Keep her!" Ben groaned.

"Perhaps Benny proposes to set up housekeeping on his own account,
soon," said John, "then mother will have a royal place to go to, and
stay, no doubt."

"By the way, my dear young brother, do you think it quite the thing
for you to come around finding fault with us who propose to bear all
the burdens ourselves, knowing that you haven't a cent to give toward
it?"

The young man restrained the bitter answer that was rising to his
lips, for father's mild eye looked into his from the photograph on
the wall. He made a firm resolve, though, as he walked sadly away,
that the one purpose of his life should be to make a home for mother,
and he would never say "burden," either.

Dear old Mrs. Kensett was so smitten, so amazed to find that her
other self had gone--where she could not follow, that for days it
seemed as if she sat waiting, expecting the summons to go herself.

"Surely, Ephraim would send for me," she thought in her sorrow and
bewilderment. It mattered little to her, then, how or where she
lived; all places were alike, since he was not in any of them, and
she mechanically assented to any proposal that was made her, though
she did cry out as one hurt, when John proposed an auction for the
sale of household effects. "Oh, I can't," she moaned. "Your father
made some of that furniture with his own hands," but the worldly-wise
son, who had outgrown "foolish sentimentality," over-ruled her. It
all went, the cradle in which they rocked, the old clock, the table
they surrounded so many years. The rage for the antique had not yet
shown itself, or John's wife and Maria, would have secured some of
the old-fashioned furniture. As it was, they could not think of
having their houses lumbered by it. The other two daughters were not
well-to-do, and prized money more than mementos. Benjamin protested
most earnestly at this sacrilegious disposal of the dear home things.
He could do but little himself, as he was still pursuing his law
studies, though he did bid in his father's armchair and a few other
cherished articles. John touched him on the shoulder, and said, "Ben,
are you crazy? What in the world will you do with a lot of old
furniture?"

"You'll see," said Ben quickly.

If John could have seen his brother's next proc