as a young fellow who
was popularly supposed to have left his heart while delivering another
valuable package on Maggie in person, and had "never been the same man
since." It was a well-worn fraternal pleasantry that had done duty
many a winter's evening, as a happy combination of moral admonition and
cheerfulness. Maggie usually paid it the tribute of a quick little
laugh and a sisterly pinch, but that evening those marks of approbation
were withheld.

"Jim dear," said she, when their Spartan repast was concluded and they
were reestablished before the living-room fire. "What was it the
Redwood Mill Kempany offered you for that piece near Dead Man's Slough?"

Jim took his pipe from his lips long enough to say, "Ten thousand
dollars," and put it back again.

"And what do ye kalkilate all our property, letting alone this yer
house, and the driftwood front, is worth all together?"

"Includin' wot the Gov'nment owes us?--for that's all ours, ye know?"
said Jim quickly.

"No--leavin' that out--jest for greens, you know," suggested Maggie.

"Well nigh onter a hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, I reckon,
by and large."

"That's a heap o' money, Jim! I reckon old Kernel Preston wouldn't
raise that in a hundred years," continued Maggie, warming her knees by
the fire.

"In five million years," said Jim, promptly sweeping away further
discussion. After a pause he added, "You and me, Mag, kin see
anybody's pile, and go 'em fifty thousand better."

There were a few moments of complete silence, in which Maggie smoothed
her knees, and Jim's pipe, which seemed to have become gorged and
apoplectic with its owner's wealth, snored unctuously.

"Jim dear, what if--it's on'y an idea of mine, you know--what if you
sold that piece to the Redwood Mill, and we jest tuk that money
and--and--and jest lifted the ha'r offer them folks at Logport? Jest
astonished 'em! Jest tuk the best rooms in that new hotel, got a hoss
and buggy, dressed ourselves, you and me, fit to kill, and made them
Fort people take a back seat in the Lord's Tabernacle, oncet for all.
You see what I mean, Jim," she said hastily, as her brother seemed to
be succumbing, like his pipe, in apoplectic astonishment, "jest on'y to
SHOW 'em what we COULD do if we keerd. Lord! when we done it and spent
the money we'd jest snap our fingers and skip back yer ez nat'ral ez
life! Ye don't think, Jim," she said, suddenly turning half fiercely
upon him, "that I'd