o his amazement, she
addressed not himself, but Angy.

"Sister Rose, yew kin leave the room." Implacable purpose spoke in Aunt
Nancy's tone. Angy started, looked up, going first red and then white;
but she did not move. She opened her lips to speak.

"I don't want ter hear a word from yew, nor anybody else," sternly
interposed Aunt Nancy. "I'm old enough ter be yer mother. Go up-stairs!"

Angy's glance sought Miss Abigail, but the matron's eyes avoided hers.
The little wife sighed, rose reluctantly, dropped her hand doubtfully
reassuring on Abe's shoulder, and then went obediently to the door.

From the threshold she looked wistfully back; but an imperious wave from
Aunt Nancy banished her altogether, and Abe found himself alone--not
with the sisters whom he loved, but with twenty-eight hard-visaged
strangers.

IX

A WINTER BUTTERFLY

"Cap'n Rose," began Aunt Nancy. Brother Abe pricked up his eats at the
formal address. "Cap'n Rose," she repeated, deliberately dwelling on the
title. "I never believe in callin' a man tew account in front of his
wife. It gives him somebody handy ter blame things on tew jest like ole
Adam. Naow, look a-here! What I want is ter ask yew jest one question:
Whar, whar on 'arth kin we look fer a decent behavin' ole man ef not in
a Old Ladies' Hum? Would yew--" she exhorted earnestly, pointing her
crooked forefinger at him. "Would yew--"

Abraham caught his breath. Beads of sweat had appeared on his brow. He
broke in huskily:

"Wait a minute, Aunt Nancy. Jest tell me what I've been an' done."

The ladies glanced at one another, contemptuous, incredulous smiles on
their faces, while Aunt Nancy almost wept at his deceitfulness.

"Cap'n Rose," she vowed mournfully, "I've lived in this house fer many,
many years, an' all the while I been here I never hearn tell o' a breath
o' scandal ag'in' the place until yew come an' commenced ter kick up yer
heels."

Lazy Daisy, who had long been an inmate, also nodded her unwieldy head
in confirmation, while a low murmur of assent arose from the others.
Abraham could only pass his hand over his brow, uneasily shuffle his
maligned heels over the floor and await further developments; for he did
not have the slightest conception as to "what they were driving at."

"Cap'n Rose," the matriarch proceeded, as in the earnestness of her
indignation she arose, trembling, in her seat and stood with her palsied
and shaking hands on the board, "Cap'n