their chatter it passed off pleasantly enough, and when
it was over they all made a hunt for the lost hammer and another nail, and
then trooped out with Bella, to mend the latch of the hen-house door.

"That's easy enough," exclaimed Tom, as he watched Bella; "I could have
done that."

"Then why didn't you?" retorted his sister. "That bit of latch has been
hanging loose for weeks, and the hens were always getting out."

"I didn't think about it. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think about it, either," admitted Bella; "but I am going to try
and remember things better. Tom, if you want a job, there's one of the
palings of the pigsty broken away. If it isn't mended, the pig'll break
it away more, and get out, and there's no knowing what trouble we shall
have. You can mend that, I'm sure."

Tom, well pleased, went off at once. It made him feel manly to be doing
real work. Charlie, of course, followed his brother. Bella was strolling
back through the untidy garden with Margery by her side, when a sudden
thought sent her hurrying back to the house.

"Aunt Emma, can I help you wash up the tea-things?"

She put her question rather nervously, and her cheeks were rosy red, but
she had broken through her shy reserve, and was glad of it.

Miss Hender was standing at the table with a pan of water in front of her.
"I've nearly finished," she said shortly, in her usual ungenial tone, but
added, a moment later, "leastways I soon shall have."

Bella had seen that although several cups and plates were washed, none of
them were wiped, so she took up the tea-cloth lying on the table, and
began to dry the things and put them away. She was very anxious to do it
all carefully and well, so that her aunt might have no cause for
complaining.

It almost seemed as though Miss Hender did not want to find fault if she
could help it, for when Bella hung the cups on the wrong hooks on the
dressers, she only said, "I don't know that it matters;" which was so
unlike her usual self that Bella marvelled.

"I s'pose you didn't see any sage in the garden when you were there just
now?" she asked presently. "I wanted some sage and onions to cook for
supper, and I don't believe we've got either. There doesn't seem to be
scarcely anything in the garden."

"I'll go and see," said Bella, "but I don't believe there's any."

She walked down the rambling old garden, and all over it, and looked in
all directions, but not a leaf of sage o