ve to tell her. She will be going to Maine in June, and
you and Uncle Ranny could be all settled by the time she comes home!"

Eleanor had forgotten all about Papa Claude in her eagerness to get Uncle
Ranny his heart's desire.

"I believe we could do it!" Mrs. Ranny was saying. "The chief expense
would be putting in a couple of bath-rooms and fixing up the floors. As
for the furniture, I have all my mother's stuff packed away in the
warehouse--nice, quaint old things that would suit this place perfectly."

"Oh, Aunt Flo, let's go down this minute and make Uncle Ranny buy it!"

Randolph Bartlett, whose powers of resistance were never strong, was
already lending a willing ear to Quin's persuasive arguments, when
Eleanor and Mrs. Ranny descended upon him in a whirlwind of enthusiasm.
They both talked at once, rushing him from one spot to another, vying
with each other in pointing out the wonderful possibilities of the place.

"See here, is this a frame-up?" he asked laughingly. "You are not
actually in earnest, Flo? You don't mean that you would consider the
place seriously?"

"But I do. I never wanted anything so much in my life!"

Mr. Ranny looked at her in amazement. "And you mean you'd be willing to
come out here and live four months in the year?"

"I mean, if we could get it fixed up right, I'd live here the year round.
We are only fifteen minutes from town, and all our friends live out this
way."

"By George, I've almost a notion to try it!" Mr. Ranny's eyes were
shining. "Do you believe I could pull it off, Quin? I've made such a
darned fizzle of things in the past that I'm almost afraid to kick over
the traces again."

"The trouble is, you've never given a big enough kick to get loose," said
Quin. "Here's your chance to show 'em what you can do. I believe if you'd
buy this place, and buckle down to knocking it into shape, you could have
as pretty a little stock farm as there is in the State."

"That sounds mighty good to me!" said Mr. Ranny with the look of a
prisoner who is promised a parole. "When do you have to give an answer?"

"My option is up at midnight."

"Good heaven! You don't mean to-night?"

"Yes, sir: not a minute later."

"I am afraid that settles it, as far as I'm concerned."

"No, it doesn't!" insisted Mrs. Ranny. "If you really want it, there is
no reason you shouldn't have it. The ground alone is worth the price
asked. Let the others go back to the car while you and I talk the ma