n' one er their daughters
is Mr. Jeff. He air sho growed ter a likely young man. He air
certainly kind an' politeful too. Didn't he say pintedly he wa' glad
ter see you? Didn't he ketch a holt an' help me tote ev'y las' one er
these here trunks up here? When the young marster air so hospitle I
don't see whe'fo' you gits notions in yo' haid."

"Perhaps you are right, Billy," and Miss Ann again held up her head.
She must not let herself slump. The will that had carried her through
all the long years of visiting must carry her still. She had demanded
and hence received homage and respect from her kinsmen for two
generations and she must continue to do it. It would be fatal at this
point to show weakness or truculence. She had been and intended to be
always the honored guest at the various homes that she visited. The
unfortunate occurrence at Cousin Betty Throckmorton's was to be
ignored--forgotten. Billy was right; she must dress with care. The
matter of the hall bedroom must be treated lightly and accepted as a
compliment. It wasn't as though she had been put out of the guest
chamber. She knew in her heart that in times that were past any
youthful visitors expected at Buck Hill must have made way for her,
but she did not acknowledge it to herself or to Billy.

She shook out the sprigged muslin and gave it to the old man to press.
Then, with meticulous care, she began the business of unpacking. It
was with some irritation that she found only the top drawer of the
bureau empty. In the other drawers Mrs. Bucknor had put away sundry
articles which she had forgotten about--remnants of cloth, old ribbons
and laces and photographs. The hall room was used only when there was
an overflow of guests and only transient visitors put there. For
transients one drawer was sufficient. In the wardrobe there hung an
old hunting suit of Jeff's and several dancing frocks belonging to
Mildred and Nan, that had been temporarily discarded to await future
going over by the seamstress.

"They might have spared me this," Miss Ann muttered, as she endeavored
to make hanging room for her voluminous skirts.

She snatched the offending garments from the hooks and put them in a
pile on the floor. Then she pulled out the lower bureau drawers and
dumped the contents on top of the old hunting suit and dancing
frocks.

"There! I shall give them to understand I am not to be treated with
ignominy. I am Ann Peyton. I have always been treated with
consid