speak, but his
aunt interposed.

"Esther," said she, "I jest wanted to ask you if there wa'n't two of
them old swell-front bureaus in the north chamber upstairs."

"I guess there is," replied Mrs. Field. She sat leaning forward
toward her callers, with her face fairly strained into hospitable
attention.

"Well, I wanted to know. I ain't come beggin', an' I'd 'nough sight
rather have a good clean new one, but I'm kind of short of bureau
drawers, an' I'd kind of like to have it because 'twas Thomas'. I
wonder if you wouldn't jest as soon I'd have one of them bureaus?"

Mrs. Field's face gleamed suddenly. "You can have it jest as well as
not," said she.

"Well, there's another thing. I kind of hate to speak about it. Flora
said I shouldn't; but I said I would, whether or no. I know you'd
rather I would. There's a set of blue china dishes that Nancy, that's
Thomas' wife, you know, always said Flora should have when she got
done with them. Thomas, he never said anything about it after Nancy
died. I didn't know but he might make mention of it in the will. But
we all know how that was. I ain't findin' no fault, an' I ain't
begrudgin' anything."

"You can have the dishes jest as well as not," returned Mrs. Field,
eagerly.

"Well, I didn't know as you'd value them much. I s'posed you'd rather
get some new ones. You can get real handsome ones now for ten
dollars. Silsbee's got an elegant set in his window. Of course folks
that can afford them would rather have them. But I s'pose Flora would
think considerable of that old set because it belonged to her aunt
Nancy. There's one or two other things I was thinkin' of, but it
don't matter about those to-day. It's a beautiful day, ain't it?"

"What be they?" asked Mrs. Field. "If there's anything you want,
you're welcome to it."

Mrs. Maxwell glanced at her nephew. He was looking out of the window,
with his forehead knitted and his lips compressed. Lois had just
thought how cross he looked. "You ain't been out to see anything of
the town, have you, Lois?" asked Mrs. Maxwell, sweetly.

Lois started. "No, ma'am," she said, faintly.

"You ain't been into the graveyard, I s'pose?"

"No, ma'am."

"You'd ought to go in there an' see the Mason monument. Francis,
don't you want to go over there with her an' show her the Mason
monument?"

Francis rose promptly.

"I guess I'd rather not," Lois said, hurriedly.

"Oh, you run right along!" cried Mrs. Maxwell. "You'll want to