had his wagon and team almost ready when Alida joined him, and
led the way to the floor between the sweet-smelling hay-mows.

"One thing leads to another," she began, looking at him a little
deprecatingly. "You must have noticed the condition of Jane's clothes."

"She does look like a little scarecrow, now I come to think of it," he
admitted.

"Yes, she's not much better off than I was," Alida returned, with
downcast eyes and rising color.

Her flushing face was so pretty under the straw hat, and the dark mow
as a background brought out her figure so finely that he thought of the
picture again and laughed aloud for pleasure. She looked up in
questioning surprise, thus adding a new grace.

"I wish that artist fellow was here now," he exclaimed. "He could make
another picture that would suit me better than the one I saw in town."

"What nonsense!" she cried, quickly averting her face from his admiring
scrutiny. "Come, I'm here to talk business and you've no time to waste.
I've made out a list of what the child actually must have to be
respectable."

"You're right, Alida," said the farmer, becoming grave at once over a
question of dollars and cents. "As you say, one thing leads to another,
and if we take the girl we must clothe her decently. But then, I guess
she'll earn enough to pay her way. It isn't that I worry about so
much," he broke out discontentedly, "but the interference with our
quiet, cozy life. Things are going so smoothly and pleasantly that I
hate a change of any kind."

"We mustn't be selfish, you know," she replied. "You are doing a kind,
generous act, and I respect you all the more for it."

"That settles everything. You'll like me a little better for it, too,
won't you?" he asked hesitatingly.

She laughed outright at this question and answered, "It won't do to
take too much self-sacrifice out of your act. There's something which
does us all good. She ought to have a spelling and a writing book
also."

Holcroft was assuredly falling under the sway of the little blind god,
for he began at once to misunderstand Alida. "You are very fond of
self-sacrifice," he said, rather stiffly. "Yes, I'll get everything on
your list," and he took it from her hand. "Now I must be off," he
added, "for I wish to get back before night, and it's so warm I can't
drive fast. Sorry I have to go, for I can't say I dote on
self-sacrifice."

Alida but partially understood his sudden change of mood, nor was