Lottie, leaving
his wife to take care of the store for the few days he expected to be
absent. Janice went over to stay with Mrs. Drugg at night during
Hopewell's absence.

Perhaps it was just as well that Janice was not at home during these
few days, as it gave her somebody's troubles besides her own to think
about. And the Day household really, if not visibly, was in mourning
for Broxton Day. Uncle Jason's face was as "long as the moral law,"
and Aunt 'Mira, lachrymose at best, was now continuously and deeply
gloomy. Marty was the only person in the Day household able to cheer
Janice in the least.

'Rill and Hopewell were in deep waters, too. Had Lottie not been such
an expense, the little store on the side street would have made a very
comfortable living for the three of them. They lived right up to their
income, however; and so Hopewell was actually obliged to sell his
violin to get Lottie to Boston.

Mrs. Scattergood was frequently in the store now that her son-in-law
was away. She was, of course, ready with her criticisms as to the
course of her daughter and her husband.

"Good Land o' Goshen!" chirped the little old woman to Janice, "didn't
I allus say it was the fullishest thing ever heard of for them two to
marry? Amarilly had allus airned good money teachin' and had spent it
as she pleased. And Hope Drugg never did airn much more'n the salt in
his johnny-cake in this store."

Meanwhile she was helping herself to sugar and tea and flour and butter
and other little "notions" for her own comfort. Hopewell always said
that "Mother Scattergood should have the run of the store, and take
what she pleased," now that he had married 'Rill; and, although the
woman was not above maligning her easy-going son-in-law, she did not
refuse to avail herself of his generosity.

"An' there it is!" went on Mrs. Scattergood. "'Rill was fullish enough
to put the money she'd saved inter a mortgage that pays her only five
per cent. An' ter git th' int'rest is like pullin' eye-teeth, and I
tell her she never will see the principal ag'in."

Mrs. Scattergood neglected to state that she had urged her daughter to
put her money in this mortgage. It was on her son's farm, across the
lake at "Skunk's Hollow," as the place was classically named; and the
money would never have been tied up in this way had her mother not
begged and pleaded and fairly "hounded" 'Rill into letting the
shiftless brother have her savings on very