oro. The Donovans are pretty well-to-do."

Josie nodded with appreciation.

"It's nice she can get such elegant things so near home, isn't it? Why,
she couldn't do as well in the city--not _half_ as well!"

Miss Huckins held up the gown and gazed at it with unmistakable pride.
"It's the best Henrietta," said she, "and I'm to get six dollars for
the making. I wanted seven, at first, and Mary only wanted to pay five,
so we split the difference. With all the other things, I didn't do so
badly on this trousseau."

"You're in luck," declared Josie, "and so is Mary Donovan. Doesn't Mr.
Cragg do any business except real estate?"

"I think he must," replied the dressmaker, hanging up the gown and then
seating herself opposite her visitor. "All the real estate business
he's done in the last two years was to rent the Kenton Place to Colonel
Hathaway and make a sale of Higgins' cow pasture to Sam Marvin. But
he's so quiet, all day, in the next room, that I can't figure out what
he's up to. No one goes near him, so I can't overhear any talk. One
time, of course, Mr. Joselyn used to go there, and then they always
whispered, as if they were up to some deviltry. But after the quarrel
Joselyn never came here again."

"Oh, did they quarrel?" asked Josie, with languid interest. She knew
her praise of the dress had won the dressmaker's heart and also she was
delighted to find Miss Huckins a more confirmed and eager gossip than
even Sol Jerrems.

"I should say they did quarrel!" was the emphatic reply, although she
sank her voice to a whisper and glanced warningly at the thin
partition. "At one time I thought there'd be murder done, for Joselyn
yelled: 'Take that away--take it away!' and Old Swallowtail--that's the
name we call Mr. Cragg, you know--roared out: 'You deserve to die for
this cowardly act.' Well, you'd better believe my hair stood on end for
a minute," Josie smiled as she thought of the wig standing on end, "but
nothing happened. There was deep silence. Then the door opened and Mr.
Joselyn walked out. I never interfere with other people's business, but
attend strictly to my own, yet that day I was so flustered that I
peeked through a crack of my door at Mr. Joselyn and he seemed cool as
a cucumber. Then Mr. Cragg slammed the door of his room--which is z
very unusual thing for him to do--and that was all."

"When did this happen?" asked Josie.

"Last fall, just before Mrs. Joselyn and her husband went back to their
c