espectable family and connections, and of independent property,
owning bank stock which brought them in an annual income of about
twelve hundred dollars, in addition to the house they occupied, and
half a dozen acres of land thereunto pertaining. Now, this was not a
colossal fortune, but in a country place like Crampton it made them
ladies of large property.

Priscilla was the elder of the two, and general manager. Sophia
contented herself with being the echo of her stronger-minded sister,
and was very apt to assent to her remarks, either by repeating them,
or by saying: "Just so." She was a mild, inoffensive creature, but
very charitable and amiable, and so little given to opposition that
there was always the greatest harmony between them. They kept a
gardener and out-of-door servant of all work, who cultivated the land,
sawed and split their wood, ran of errands, and made himself generally
useful. He had one drawback, unfortunately. He would occasionally
indulge to excess in certain fiery alcoholic compounds sold at the
village tavern, and, as natural consequence, get drunk. He had usually
the good sense to keep out of the way while under the influence of
liquor, and hitherto the good ladies had borne with and retained him
in their employ.

But a crisis had arrived. That morning he had come for orders while
inebriated, and in his drunken folly had actually gone so far as to
call Miss Priscilla darling and offer to kiss her.

Miss Priscilla was, of course, horrified, and so expressed herself.

"Law, Sophia," she said, "I came near fainting away. The idea of his
offering to kiss me."

"Just so," said Sophia.

"So presuming."

"Just so."

"Of course, I couldn't think of employing him any longer."

"Couldn't think of it."

"He might have asked to kiss me again."

"Just so."

"Or you!"

"Just so," said Sophia, in some excitement of manner.

"The neighbors would talk."

"Just so."

"So I told him that I was very sorry, but it would be necessary for
him to find work somewhere else."

"But who will do our work?" inquired Sophia, with a rare, original
suggestion.

"We must get somebody else."

"So we must," acquiesced Sophia, as if she had suddenly received light
on a very dark subject.

"But I don't know who we can get."

"Just so."

At that moment there was a knock at the door. Priscilla answered it in
person. They kept no domestic servant, only a gardener.

"I've brought the load of wood yo