possessed
young man took a pleasant interest in everything that went on about the
house and farm. Lyddy was still inclined to snub him--only, he wouldn't
be snubbed. He did not force his attentions upon her; but while he was at
Hillcrest it seemed to Lyddy as though he was right at her elbow all the
time.

"He pervades the whole place," she complained to 'Phemie. "Why--he's under
foot, like a kitten!"

"Huh!" exclaimed the younger sister. "He's hanging about you no more than
the school teacher--and Mr. Somers has the best chance, too."

"'Phemie!"

"Oh, don't be a grump! Mr. Colesworth is ever so nice. He's worth any
_two_ of your Somerses, too!"

And at that Lyddy became so indignant that she would not speak to her
sister for the rest of the day. But _that_ did not solve the problem.
There was Harris Colesworth, always doing something for her, ready to do
her bidding at any time, his words cheerful, his looks smiling, and, as
Lyddy declared in her own mind, "utterly unable to keep his place."

There never _was_ so bold a young man, she verily believed!

CHAPTER XVIII

THE QUEER BOARDER

Spring marched on apace those days. The garden at Hillcrest began to
take form, and the green things sprouted beautifully. Lucas Pritchett
was working very hard, for his father did not allow him to neglect any
of his regular work to keep the contract the young man had made with
Lyddy Bray.

In another line the prospect for a crop was anxiously canvassed, too. The
eggs Lyddy had sent for had arrived and, after running the incubator for
a couple of days to make sure that they understood it, the girls put the
hundred eggs into the trays.

The eggs were guaranteed sixty per cent. fertile and after eight days
they tested them as Trent had advised. They left eighty-seven eggs in the
incubator after the test.

But the incubator took an enormous amount of attention--at least, the
girls thought it did.

This was not so bad by day; but they went to bed tired enough at night,
and Lyddy was sure the lamp should be looked to at midnight.

It was three o'clock the first night before 'Phemie awoke with a start,
and lay with throbbing pulse and with some sound ringing in her ears
which she could not explain immediately. But almost at once she recalled
another night--their first one at Hillcrest--when she had gone rambling
about the lower floor of the old house.

But she thought of the incubator and leaped out of bed. The lam