wandering about seeking employment all day, and no one would give it.

Only Dave had not forgotten the stranger is the joy of Kate's
home-coming. He had welcomed the flurry of excitement to say a few words
to his mother, his sworn ally in all the little domestic plots.

"Mother," he said, "do contrive to keep that girl. It would be nothing
short of murder to turn her out on the highway."

A pressure of the motherly hand assured Dave that he could rely on her
support.

"Well, well, Katie," said the Squire with his arm around his niece's
waist, "the old place has been lonely without you!"

"Uncle, who is that girl on the porch?" she asked in an undertone.

"That we don't know; says her name is Moore, and that she wants work.
Kind of sounds like a fairy story, don't it, Kate?"

"Poor thing, poor thing!" was Kate's only answer.

"Amasy," said Mrs. Bartlett, assuming all the courage of a rabbit about
to assert itself, "this family is bigger than it was with Kate home and
the professor here, and I am not getting younger--I want you to let me
keep this young woman to help me about the house."

The Squire set his jaw, always an ominous sign to his family. "I don't
like this takin' strangers, folks we know nothing about; it's mighty
suspicious to see a young woman tramping around the country, without a
home, looking for work. I don't like it."

The girl, who sat apart while these strangers considered taking her in,
as if she had been a friendless dog, arose, her eyes were full of unshed
tears, her voice quivered, but pride supported her. Turning to the
Squire, she said:

"You are suspicious because you are blest with both home and family. My
mother died a few months ago, I myself have been ill. I make this
explanation not because your kindness warrants it, sir, but because your
family would have been willing to take me on faith." She bowed her head
in the direction of Mrs. Bartlett and Dave.

"Well," the Squire interrupted, "you need not go away hungry, you can
stop here and eat your dinner, and then Hi Holler can take you in the
wagon to the place provided for such unfortunate cases, and where you'll
have food and shelter."

"The poor farm, do you mean?" the girl said, wildly; "no, no; if you will
not give me work I will not take your charity."

"Father!" exclaimed Dave and his mother together.

"Now, now," said Kate, going up to the Squire and putting her hands on
his shoulders, "it seems to me as if