hed him.

He did not know at first how to break the silence which she let follow
upon her words. At last he said:

"You spoke, just now, about taking it with you. Of course, you don't
think of leaving Lion's Head?"

She did not answer for so long a time that he thought she had not perhaps
heard him or heeded what he said; but she answered, finally: "We did
think of it. The day you come we had about made up our minds to leave."

"Oh!"

"But I've been thinkin' of something since you've been here that I don't
know but you'll say is about as wild as wantin' to buy a
three-hundred-dollar picture with a week's board." She gave a short,
self-scornful laugh; but it was a laugh, and it relieved the tension.

"It may not be worth any more," he said, glad of the relief.

"Oh, I guess it is," she rejoined, and then she waited for him to prompt
her.

"Well?"

"Well, it's this; and I wanted to ask you, anyway. You think there'd be
any chance of my gettin' summer folks to come here and board if I was to
put an advertisement in a Boston paper? I know it's a lonesome place, and
there ain't what you may call attractions. But the folks from the hotels,
sometimes, when they ride over in a stage to see the view, praise up the
scenery, and I guess it is sightly. I know that well enough; and I ain't
afraid but what I can do for boarders as well as some, if not better.
What do you think?"

"I think that's a capital idea, Mrs. Durgin."

"It's that or go," she said. "There ain't a livin' for us on the farm any
more, and we got to do somethin'. If there was anything else I could do!
But I've thought it out and thought it out, and I guess there ain't
anything I can do but take boarders--if I can get them."

"I should think you'd find it rather pleasant on some accounts. Your
boarders would be company for you," said Westover.

"We're company enough for ourselves," said Mrs. Durgin. "I ain't ever
been lonesome here, from the first minute. I guess I had company enough
when I was a girl to last me the sort that hotel folks are. I presume Mr.
Whitwell spoke to you about my father?"

"Yes; he did, Mrs. Durgin."

"I don't presume he said anything that wa'n't true. It's all right. But I
know how my mother used to slave, and how I used to slave myself; and I
always said I'd rather do anything than wait on boarders; and now I guess
I got to come to it. The sight of summer folks makes me sick! I guess I
could 'a' had 'em long ago if I'd wa