dissatisfied, do you think?"

"Like as not. The widder says she's comin' back, but I don't believe
it. Between you and me, Mr. Tripp, I wonder that she stayed so long.
Now, if she had been boardin' with you it would have been different."

"So it would, Mrs. Greene; so it would. I would have been willing to
take her just to oblige."

"So would I, Mr. Tripp. The widder charged her a ridiculous
price--eight dollars a week."

"It was extortionate. I never charged such a price."

"Nor I. Miss Dolby's board ran the house, so that Chester didn't need
to send any home, and now Chester's lost his place."

"You don't say so!" ejaculated Silas, eagerly.

"Yes. Mrs. Rand told me herself that he had left his work and gone out
West in search of a place. I don't see, for my part, what the widder's
goin' to do."

"I'm sorry Chester's been so unlucky. But he needn't have gone out
West; I'm ready to take him back into my store."

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Tripp."

"I want to help along his mother, seein' she's a widder and in hard
luck."

"Shall I tell her you will take Chester back?"

"No; I'll call round and see her about it. There may be some dickerin'
about the salary. Chester's got rather high notions, but I can't afford
to pay extravagant prices."

"Just so. I'm sorry for the widder Rand, but she's sot too much on that
boy, and thought there wasn't no other boy in Wyncombe that was equal
to him. I'm sure my Fred is just as smart as he."

It was not till the next evening that Mr. Tripp found it convenient to
call on Mrs. Rand. She was rather surprised by the visit, and a little
curious to learn what it meant.

"Good-evenin', widder," said Silas, coughing.

"Good-evening, Mr. Tripp. Won't you step in for a few minutes?"

"Thank you. I don't care if I do. I heard yesterday from Mrs. Greene
that you'd lost your boarder."

"Yes; Miss Dolby has gone to Chicago for a year. She has a sister
there."

"Do you expect her back?"

"Yes, after a year."

"I wouldn't calc'late too much upon it if I were you. Women folks is
mighty onsartin when they make promises."

Mrs. Rand smiled.

"You may be right, Mr. Tripp," she said.

"I hear, too, that Chester's lost his place."

"No; he has left it for a time, but he expects to go back."

"That's onsartin, too. I'm sorry for you, widder."

"Thank you, Mr. Tripp, but there's no occasion."

"You'll be rather put to it to get along, I reckon."

"Still, I have good f