nd then not do
them. We should have done it or else found somebody like Jonas Hicks
to do it for us. What's everybody's business is nobody's business."

"And what's nobody's business is everybody's business," added Mrs.
Wright.

"Good!" exclaimed Mrs. Norton. "Where did you hear that, Kitty?"

"I just heard myself say it. I did it with my little hatchet."

"Sort of a double-edged axiom," observed Mrs. Harmon.

"I am su-u-u-ure," chimed Grandma Plympton, "that if Mr. Brown were
here, and knew the circumstances, he would most wi-i-i-llingly offer to
assist us. Of course, we should never take--what does not belong to
us, without the owner's permission, but I am qui-i-i-i-ite sure that if
we were to take them and put them back just where we got them, Mr.
Brown would quite approve of it."

"Mother has a very high opinion of Stephen Brown," said Mrs. Plympton.

"Mr. Brown is quite a gentleman, indeed," said Grandma.

This advice, coming from so white a priestess, and in words that lent
so musical and sweet a sanction, removed the last mote of conjecture
from the air. Mrs. Wright, as usual, was the first to take action.
Every set of women, probably, has its recognized clown, she who is just
too cute and killing. And those who do not like her say she is
tiresome and "silly." Mrs. Wright, in keeping with the character, went
through the gate with exaggerated show of dissolute abandon.

"Come on, girls," she said, breaking into the rockery. "I do hope I
'll get one with feldspar in it, or something nice and interesting."

Mrs. Norton, having been the one to make the suggestion, now followed
her own advice; Mrs. Dix, taking example from Mrs. Norton, came next;
thus the motion was carried. And pretty soon the caravan moved
forward, heavily laden with food for thought.

The next two houses in the line of march were those of Mrs. Jephson,
and Mrs. Osgood and her sister Hannah--she was quite usually spoken of
as Mrs. Osgood's sister; but the two latter had already gone.

"What do you think?" said Mrs. Jephson. "I just got word that Oliver
would n't be home to-night, and he is probably gone for several days.
And Captain Chase, too. The Captain had to go to San Antonio on
business, and Oliver went along."

"The Captain, too! Not a man left in the neighborhood!" said Mrs.
Harmon.

"Except Uncle Israel," added Mrs. Wright.

Uncle Israel was the Captain's aged darky.

A shortage of men was nothing new to the