top of the stove and chestnuts in the oven. Quincy, attracted by the
singing, came downstairs to the kitchen, and was invited to join in the
simple feast. He then asked Mrs. Crowley to sing for him, which she did,
and he repaid her by singing, "The Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls" so
sweetly that tears coursed down the old woman's cheeks, and she said,
"My poor boy Tom, that was killed in the charge at Balaklava, used to
sing just like that."

Then the poor woman began weeping so violently that Mandy coaxed her off
to bed and left the room with her.

When Hiram and Quincy were alone together, the latter said: "Any news,
Hiram?"

"Not much," replied Hiram. "The snow is too deep, and it's too darned
cold for the boys to travel 'round and do much gossipin' this weather. A
notice is pasted up on Hill's grocery that it'll be sold by auction next
Tuesday at three o'clock in the afternoon. And I got on to one bit of
news. Strout and his friends are goin' to give Huldy Mason a surprise
party. They have invited me and Mandy simply because they want you to
hear all about it. But they don't propose to invite you, nor 'Zeke, nor
his sister."

"Has Strout got anybody to back him up on buying the grocery store?"
asked Quincy.

"Yes," said Hiram, "he has got two thousand dollars pledged, and I hear
he wants five hundred dollars more. He don't think the whole thing will
run over twenty-five hundred dollars."

"How much is to be paid in cash?" Quincy inquired.

"Five hundred dollars," said Hiram; "and that's what troubles Strout.
His friends will endorse his notes and take a mortgage on the store, for
they know it's a good payin' business. They expect to get their money
back with good interest, but it comes kinder hard on them to plunk down
five hundred dollars in cold cash."

[Illustration: "QUINCY READING ALICE'S LETTER TO HER." (ACT III.)]

At that moment Mandy returned, and after asking her for a spoon and a
plate upon which to take a roast apple and some chestnuts upstairs,
Quincy left the young couple together. As he sat before the fire
enjoying his lunch, he resolved that he would buy that grocery store,
cost what it might, and that 'Zeke Pettengill, Alice, and himself would
go to that surprise party.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE NEW DOCTOR.

Quincy improved the first opportunity offered for safe travelling to
make a visit to the city. He had several matters to attend to. First, he
had not sent his letter to his