ean?" said Euphemia.

"Well, ma'am, they've just settled down and taken possession of the
whole place. He says to me that he know'd you'd both want them to make
themselves at home, just as if you was there, and they thought they'd
better do it. He asked me did I think you would be home by Monday, and
I said I didn't know, but I guessed you would. So says he to his wife,
'Won't that be a jolly lark? We'll just keep house for them here till
they come. And he says he would go down to the store and order some
things, if there wasn't enough in the house, and he asked her to see
what would be needed, which she did, and he's gone down for 'em now. And
she says that, as it was Saturday, she'd see that the house was all put
to rights; and after breakfast she set me to sweepin'; and it's only by
way of her dustin' the parlor and givin' me the little girl to take for
a walk that I got off at all."

"But what have you done with the child?" exclaimed Euphemia.

"Oh, I left her at old Johnses."

"And so you think they're pleased with having the house to themselves?"
I said.

"Pleased, sir?" replied Pomona; "they're tickled to death."

"But how do you like having strangers telling you what to do?" asked
Euphemia.

"Oh, well," said Pomona, "he's no stranger, and she's real pleasant, and
if it gives you a good camp out, I don't mind."

Euphemia and I looked at each other. Here was true allegiance. We would
remember this.

Pomona now hurried off, and we seriously discussed the matter, and soon
came to the conclusion that while it might be the truest hospitality to
let our friends stay at our house for a day or two and enjoy themselves,
still it would not do for us to allow ourselves to be governed by a too
delicate sentimentality. We must go home and act our part of host and
hostess.

Mrs. Old John had been at the camp ever since breakfast-time, giving the
place a Saturday cleaning. What she had found to occupy her for so
long a time I could not imagine, but in her efforts to put in a full
half-day's work, I have no doubt she scrubbed some of the trees. We had
been so fully occupied with our own affairs that we had paid very little
attention to her, but she had probably heard pretty much all that had
been said.

At noon we paid her (giving her, at her suggestion, something extra in
lieu of the midday meal, which she did not stay to take), and told her
to send her husband, with his wagon, as soon as possible, as we intended