umpson felt some embarrassment in
her purpose to overwhelm Holcroft with a sense of the impropriety of
his conduct.

Mrs. Wiggins took uncertain steps toward the rocking chair, and almost
crushed it as she sat down. "Ye gives a body a cold velcome," she
remarked, rubbing her eyes.

Mrs. Mumpson had got out of her way as a minnow would shun a leviathan.
"May I ask your name?" she gasped.

"Viggins, Mrs. Viggins."

"Oh, indeed! You are a married woman?"

"No, hi'm a vidder. What's more, hi'm cold, and drippin', an' 'ungry.
Hi might 'a' better stayed at the poor-us than come to a place like
this."

"What!" almost screamed Mrs. Mumpson, "are you a pauper?"

"Hi tell ye hi'm a vidder, an' good as you be, for hall he said," was
the sullen reply.

"To think that a respecterbly connected woman like me--" But for once
Mrs. Mumpson found language inadequate. Since Mrs. Wiggins occupied
the rocking chair, she hardly knew what to do and plaintively declared,
"I feel as if my whole nervous system was giving way."

"No 'arm 'll be done hif hit does," remarked Mrs. Wiggins, who was not
in an amiable mood.

"This from the female I'm to superintend!" gasped the bewildered woman.

Her equanimity was still further disturbed by the entrance of the
farmer, who looked at the stove with a heavy frown.

"Why in the name of common sense isn't there a fire?" he asked, "and
supper on the table? Couldn't you hear that it was raining and know
we'd want some supper after a long, cold ride?"

"Mr. Holcroft," began the widow, in some trepidation, "I don't
approve--such irregular habits--"

"Madam," interrupted Holcroft sternly, "did I agree to do what you
approved of? Your course is so peculiar that I scarcely believe you
are in your right mind. You had better go to your room and try to
recover your senses. If I can't have things in this house to suit me,
I'll have no one in it. Here, Jane, you can help."

Mrs. Mumpson put her handkerchief to her eyes and departed. She felt
that this display of emotion would touch Holcroft's feelings when he
came to think the scene all over.

Having kindled the fire, he said to Jane, "You and Mrs. Wiggins get
some coffee and supper in short order, and have it ready when I come
in," and he hastened out to care for his horses. If the old woman was
slow, she knew just how to make every motion effective, and a good
supper was soon ready.

"Why didn't you keep up a fire, Jane?" Holcroft ask