t might be going on beyond those
closed barn doors and he shut out.

"Clear out, Susanna Sprigg. Get away from that winder. Don't ye let me
hear another word about that party. If a miracle happens so's I can go
to it, all right. If not--the sooner you look after that ham the
better."

Susanna turned from the pane, saying quite gently:

"I don't know as the days of miracles is past. Seems if there was some
been done right here in Marsden township. I am sorry for ye, Moses. I'd
almost ruther stay to home myself than have you miss the fun. Maybe you
won't. Maybe a fresh miracle will be done. Maybe I shall see you the
chief sinner in the synagogue, I mean the most invited comp'ny--My suz!
You know what I mean better'n I can say it. I'll fetch you up a
sandwich, soon's that ham is cooked."

She hurried below, and the unhappy hired man turned his face from the
light and went to sleep, or tried to, though the odors of good things
wafted to him from the kitchen beneath kept his thoughts on the
disturbing party and angered him against the two children he loved.

"Should ha' thought they'd waited till I was up an' 'round again.
'Twouldn't have hurt 'em an' would ha' been showing some decent feelin'
fer me," he grumbled. And little did the old man dream that he was,
indeed, the very heart and centre of the whole festivity!

Oh, what a day that was! The toilers in the barn sent in word that they
were too busy to stop for any dinner, and Susanna retorted that she was
herself fully too busy to cook it for them. Everybody had a slice of
bread and butter and a glass of milk, which didn't take a minute to
dispose of. Even the mistress, who had returned, fared thus.

That afternoon Reuben Smith tooted up to Miss Maitland's front gate and
handed out a paste-board box, very large and weighty, which Susanna
hastily received and carried into the house. There it was hurriedly
opened behind closed doors by Aunt Eunice, with her housemate to assist,
and was found to contain a new suit of men's clothing, with all
accessories needful.

"I'll carry them to poor Nathan at once, and make sure he puts them on.
Then, if you're willing, we'll light a fire in your stove and burn all
his old rags," said the mistress.

"Not alone, Eunice Maitland, not alone!" cried the old housekeeper, who
wouldn't have missed this business if all the jumbles she had made had
burned themselves to a crisp. Fortunately, they were out of the way, and
though she ha