and living-room of the family.
Here the widow knocked.

There was no response. She knocked again, with the same result. Then she
pulled the latch-string--for the door even of this well-to-do farmer had
a latch-string. She entered. The house was deserted.

"Ain't to home, none of 'em, hey?" said the widow, peering about her
with a disagreeable scowl. "House wan't locked, nuther. Wonder if Mis'
Stackridge and the childern have gone to the mountains too? And whar's
old Aunt Deb?"

Her first feeling was that of resentment. What right had Mrs. Stackridge
to be absent when she came to borrow? As she explored the pantry and
closets, however, and became convinced that she was absolutely alone in
a well-provisioned farm-house, her countenance lighted up with a smile.

"I can borry what I want jest exac'ly as well as if Mis' Stackridge war
to home," thought the widow.

And she proceeded to fill her basket. She helped herself to a pan of
meal, borrowing the pan with it. "I'll fetch home the pan," said she,
"when I do the meal,"--exposing her craggy teeth with a grim smile. "If
I don't before, I'm a feared Mis' Stackridge'll haf to wait for't a
considerable spell! What's in this box? Coffee! May as well take box and
all. Bring back the box when I do the coffee. Wish I could find some
tobacky somewhars--wonder whar they keep their tobacky!"

Now, the excellent creature did not indulge in these liberties without
some apprehension that Mrs. Stackridge might return suddenly and
interrupt them. Perhaps she had not followed Mr. Stackridge to the
mountains. Perhaps she had only gone into the village to buy shoes for
her children, or to call on a neighbor. "If she should come back and
ketch me at it,--why, then, I'll tell her I'm only jest a borryin', and
see what she'll do about it. The prop'ty of these yer durned
Union-shriekers is all gwine to be confisticated, and I reckon I may as
well take my sheer when I can git it. Thar's a paper o' black pepper,
and I'll take it jest as 'tis. Thar's a jar o' lump butter,--wish I
could tote jar and all!--have some of the lumps on a plate anyhow!"

She had soon filled her basket, and was regretting she had not brought
two, or a larger one, when a handsome, new tin pail, hanging in the
pantry, caught her eye. "Been wantin' jest sich a pail as that, this
long while!" And she proceeded to fill that also.

Just as she was putting the cover on, she was very much startled by
hearing footsteps at