good deal,--however, don't think of them."

"What difference is it to you?" he demanded.

"Only this,--I have lost everybody I love in the world, and have come
to the cottage to live with you boys because I am so terribly lonely. If
you can't like me well enough to stay, life will seem a failure."

He pondered a long while, frowning a little, with large gray eyes fixed
on my face. Then he said at last, "I don't know as I'll go right off."

"Oh, thank you," I replied, gratefully.

From seven to eight we have study-hour at the cottage. To-night Geordie
watched the clock-hands for twenty minutes before they reached eight,
then slammed his geography shut, and commanded,

"Tell about the Marrs-Cheever war!"

All the boys woke up at once, and Nucky began, slowly: "The Marrses has
lived on Trigger ever sence allus-ago. My great-great-great-grandpaw fit
under Washington and got a big land-grant out here and come out from Old
Virginny. And the Cheevers they has allus lived down the branch from us.
More'n thirty year' gone, Israel Cheever he had a new survey made, and
laid claim to a piece of our bottom where the lands jines; and him and
his brothers tore down the dividing fence and sot it back up on our
land; and the next week, my grandpaw and his boys sot it down where it
belonged, and while they was at it, the Cheevers come up and they all
fit a big battle. And ever sence, first one side and then t'other has
been setting back the fence, and gen'ally a few gets kilt and a lot
wounded. Six year gone, paw got his three brothers kilt and a leg shot
off and a couple of bullets in his lung, in a battle, and haint been
able to do a lick of work sence. Blant, my big brother, wa'n't but
fifteen then, and he's had to make the living ever sence, with me to
help him. And for five year' before he got good-grown, the Cheevers they
helt our land, and Blant he laid low and put in all his spare time at
gun practice. Then last fall, on the day Blant was twenty, he rounded up
Rich Tarrant and some more of his friends, and Uncle Billy's boys and
me, and we tore up the fence, and sot it down on the old line where it
ought to be; and the Cheevers, Israel and his ten boys, got wind of it,
and come up, and there was the terriblest battle you ever seed."

"I heared about it," interrupted Geordie, "I heared Blant was the
quickest on the trigger of any boy ever lived, and laid out the Cheevers
scandlous."

"He kilt two of 'em dead that day, and