she could hardly believe in her own good fortune. She did
not seem to hear the talk or the laugh, but, with a face intent and
grave, walked up and down, drawing out the long, even threads, and then
letting them roll up smoothly on the spindle.

"Take it moderate, Miss Shenac," said the peddler, "take it moderate.
It don't pay to overdo even a good thing."

But Shenac was busy calculating how many days' work there might be in
the wool, and how long it would take her to finish it.

"The rainy days will not be lost now," she said to herself triumphantly.
"Of course I must stick to the hay; but mornings and evenings and rainy
days I can spin. No fear for the lads' clothes now."

"Hamish," said Shenac Dhu, "I shall never see her without fancying she
has a wheel on her head."

Hamish laughed. His pleasure in the pleasure of his sister was intense.

"I don't know what we can ever say to Christie for her kindness," he
said.

"We'll write a letter to her, Hamish, you and I together," said his
sister eagerly. "I can't think how it all happened. But I am so glad
and thankful; and I must tell Christie."

The next day was fair. When Shenac went out with little Hugh to the
milking in the pasture, she thought she heard the pleasant sound of the
whetting of scythes nearer than the fields of Angus Dhu. She could see
nothing, however, because of the mist that lay close over the low lands.
But when she went out after breakfast to spread the grass cut by Dan
during the rainy days, she found work going on that made Dan's efforts
seem like play.

"Is it a bee?" said Shenac to herself.

No, it was not a bee, Aleck Munroe said, but he and the other lads
thought there was as much hay down in their fields as could be well
cared for, and so they thought they would see what could be done in
their neighbour's. It was likely to continue fine now, as the weather
had cleared at the change of the moon; and a few hours would help here,
without hindering there.

"Help! Yes, indeed!" thought Shenac as she watched the swinging of the
scythes, and saw the broad swaths of grain that fell as they passed on.
Dan followed, but he made small show after the young giants that had
taken the work in hand; and in a little while he made a virtue of
necessity and exchanged the scythe for the spreading-pole, to help
Shenac and the little ones in the merry, healthful work.

After this there were no more rainy days while the hay-time lasted.
Shena