led when he saw them drive in with a lumber wagon.

The women swarmed out to greet Emma, who was a thin, irritable, feeble
woman.

"Better late than never. Where's Ike?" inquired Mrs. Gray.

"Well, he--couldn't git away very well--he's got t' clean up some
seed-oats," she answered nervously. After the men drove off, however,
she added: "He thought he hadn't ought to come; he didn't want to cause
no aidgewise feelin's, so he thought he hadn't better come--he'd just
leave it to you, Deacon."

The Deacon said, "All right, all right! We'll fix it up!" but he didn't
feel so sure of it after that, though he set to work bravely.

The sun, growing warmer, fell with pleasant gleam around the kitchen
door and around the chip-pile where the hens were burrowing. The men
worked in their shirt-sleeves.

"Well, now, we'll share the furniture an' stuff next," said the Deacon,
looking around upon his little interested semicircle of spectators.
"Now, put Emmy's things over there and Serry's things over here. I'll
call 'em off, and, if they's no objection, you girls can pass 'em over."

He cleared his throat and began in the voice of one in authority:--

"Thirteen pans, six to Emmy, seven to Serry;" then hastened to add:
"I'll balance that by giving the biggest of the two kittles to Emmy.
Rollin' pin and cake board to Serry, two flat-irons to Emmy, small tub
to Emmy, large one to Serry, balanced by the tin water pail. Dozen
clo'se-pins; half an' half, six o' one, half-dozen t'other," he said
with a smile at his own joke, while the others actively placed the
articles in separate piles.

"Stove to Serry, because she has the house, bureau to Emmy."

At this point Mrs. Gray said, "I guess that ain't quite even, Deacon;
the bureau ain't worth much."

"Oh, no, no, that's all right! Let her have it," Emma protested
nervously.

"Give her an extry tick, anyway," said Sarah, not to be outdone in
magnanimity.

"Settle that between ye," said the Deacon.

He warmed to his work now, and towels, pans, crockery, brooms, mirrors,
pillows, and bedticks were rapidly set aside in two groups on the soft
soil. The poverty of the home could best be seen in the display of its
pitiful furniture.

The two nieces looked on impassively, standing side by side. The men
came to move the bureau and other heavy things and looked on, while the
lighter things were being handed over by Mrs. Gray and the girls.

At noon they sat down in the empty kitchen