t
something prophetic. That bent little figure beside her, these shaking
limbs and dim old eyes,--all this house of life, once so carefully
builded, was crumbling again into the dust, and its tenant indeed
wanted a new one, quite, quite different! A sob rose in Robinette's
throat, but she swallowed it down and went on gaily.

"I've settled about another thing, too; you're to have another plum
tree, or life wouldn't be the same thing to you. And you know they can
transplant quite big trees now-a-days and make them grow wonderfully.
Some one was telling me all about how it is done only a few days ago.
They dig them up ever so carefully, and when they put them into the
new hole, every tiny root is spread out and laid in the right
direction in the ground, and patted and coaxed in, and made firm, and
they just catch hold on the soil in the twinkle of an eye. Isn't it
marvellous? Well, I'll have a fine new tree planted for you so
cleverly that perhaps by next year you'll be having a few plums, who
knows? And the next year more plums! And the next year, jam!"

"'Twill be beautiful, sure enough," said the old woman, kindling at
last under the description of all these joys. "And do you think,
Missie, as the new cottage will really be curing of me rheumatics?"

"Why yes, Nurse. Whoever heard of rheumatism in a dry new house?"

"The house be new, but the rheumatics be old," said Mrs. Prettyman
sagely.

"Well, we can't make _you_ entirely new, but we'll do our best. I'm
going to enquire about a nice cottage not very far from here; there's
plenty of time before this one is sold. It shall be dry and warm and
cosy, and you will feel another person in it altogether."

"These new houses be terrible dear, bain't they?" the old woman said
anxiously.

"Not a bit; besides that's another matter I want to settle with you,
Nursie. I'm going to pay the rent always, and you're going to have a
nice little girl to help you with the work, and there will be
something paid to you each month, so that you won't have any
anxiety."

"Oh, Missie, Missie, whatever be you sayin'? _Me_ never to have no
anxiety again!"

"You never shall, if I can help it; old people should never have
worries; that's what young people are here for, to look after them and
keep them happy."

Mrs. Prettyman lay back on the pillow and gazed at Robinette
incredulously; it wasn't possible that such a solution had come to all
her troubles. For seventy odd years she had