As the light declined she was overcome by a
sort of panic, and, huddling the things into the drawers as fast as
possible, she locked them up. Then, seizing her mother's hand and
pulling the abstracted woman to her feet, she cried, "If he comes and
finds us here and no supper ready, he'll turn us right out into the
rain!"

Even Mrs. Mumpson felt that she was perhaps reaching conclusions too
fast and that some diplomacy might be necessary to consummate her
plans. Her views, however, appeared to her so reasonable that she
scarcely thought of failure, having the happy faculty of realizing
everything in advance, whether it ever took place or not.

As she slowly descended the stairs with the rocking chair, she thought,
"Nothing could be more suiterble. We are both about the same age; I am
most respecterbly connected--in fact, I regard myself as somewhat his
superior in this respect; he is painfully undeveloped and irreligious
and thus is in sore need of female influence; he is lonely and
down-hearted, and in woman's voice there is a spell to banish care;
worst of all, things are going to waste. I must delib'rately face the
great duty with which Providence has brought me face to face. At
first, he may be a little blind to this great oppertunity of his
life--that I must expect, remembering the influence he was under so
many years--but I will be patient and, by the proper use of language,
place everything eventually before him in a way that will cause him to
yield in glad submission to my views of the duties, the privileges, and
the responserbilities of life."

So active was Mrs. Mumpson's mind that this train of thought was
complete by the time she had ensconced herself in the rocking chair by
the fireless kitchen stove. Once more Jane seized her hand and dragged
her up. "You must help," said the child. "I 'spect him every minnit and
I'm scart half to death to think what he'll do, 'specially if he finds
out we've been rummagin'."

"Jane," said Mrs. Mumpson severely, "that is not a proper way of
expressing yourself. I am housekeeper here, and I've been inspecting."

"Shall I tell him you've been inspectin'?" asked the girl keenly.

"Children of your age should speak when they are spoken to," replied
her mother, still more severely. "You cannot comprehend my motives and
duties, and I should have to punish you if you passed any remarks upon
my actions."

"Well," said Jane apprehensively, "I only hope we'll soon hav