I forgot that. But upstairs with
mother's clothing there are several shawls and shoulder capes. All of
them were washed and carefully packed. Would you use one, Ruth?"

"Why not give it to me. Wouldn't she like me to wear her things better
than to have them lying in moth balls?"

The Harvester looked at her and shook his head, marvelling.

"I can't tell how pleased she would be," he said.

"Where are her belongings?" asked the Girl. "I could use them to help
furnish the house, and it wouldn't appear so strange to you."

The Harvester liked that.

"All the washed things are in those boxes upstairs; also some fine skins
I've saved on the chance of wanting them. Her dishes are in the bottom
of the china closet there; she was mighty proud of them. The furniture
and carpets were so old and abused I burned them. I'll go bring a wrap."

He took the candle and climbed the stairs, soon returning with a little
white wool shawl and a big pink coverlet.

"Got this for her Christmas one time," he said. "She'd never had a white
one and she thought it was pretty."

He folded it around the Girl's shoulders and picked up the coverlet.

"You're never going to take that to the woods!" she cried.

"Why not?"

She took it in her hands to find a corner.

"Just as I thought! It's a genuine Peter Hartman! It's one of the things
that money can't buy, or, rather, one that takes a mint of money to own.
They are heirlooms. They are not manufactured any more. At the art store
where I worked they'd give you fifty dollars for that. It is not faded
or worn a particle. It would be lovely in my room; you mustn't take a
treasure like that out of doors."

"Ruth, are you in earnest?" demanded the Harvester. "I believe there are
six of them upstairs."

"Plutocrat!" cried the Girl. "What colours?"

"More of this pinkish red, blue, and pale green."

"Famous! May I have them to help furnish with to-morrow?"

"Certainly! Anything you can find, any way on earth you want it, only
in my room. That is taboo, as I told you. What am I going to take
to-night?"

"Isn't the rug you had in the woods in the wagon yet? Use that!"

"Of course! The very thing! Bel, proceed!"

"Are you going to leave the house like this?"

"Why not?"

"Suppose some one breaks in!"

"Nothing worth carrying away, except what you have on. No one to get in.
There is a big swamp back of our woods, marsh in front, we're up here
where we can see the drive and bridge. T