rls professed to do. She had found his satirical tongue,
his keen eyes and his real or affected indifference to feminine wiles
pleasantly stimulating. There was some fun in talking to Jim Dodge.
But of late she had not been afforded the opportunity. Fanny had
explained to Ellen that Jim was working terribly hard, often rising
at three and four in the morning to work on his own farm, and putting
in long days at the Bolton place.

"She seems to have most of the men in Brookville doing for her,"
Ellen had remarked coldly.

Then the girls had exchanged cautious glances.

"There's something awfully funny about her coming here, anyway," said
Ellen. "Everybody thinks it's queer."

"I expect she had a reason," said Fanny, avoiding Ellen's eyes.

After which brief interchange of opinion they had twined their arms
about each other's waists and squeezed wordless understanding and
sympathy. Henceforth, it was tacitly understood between the two girls
that singly and collectively they did not "like" Lydia Orr.

Lydia understood without further explanation that she was not to look
to her nearest neighbors for either friendship or the affection she
so deeply craved. Both Ellen and Fanny had passed the place every day
since its restoration began; but not once had either betrayed the
slightest interest or curiosity in what was going on beyond the
barrier of the hedge. To be sure, Fanny had once stopped to speak to
her brother; but when Lydia had hurried hopefully out to greet her it
was only to catch a glimpse of the girl's back as she walked quickly
away.

Jim Dodge had explained, with some awkwardness, that Fanny was in a
hurry....

"Well, now, I'll tell you, Miss Orr," Mrs. Dix was saying, as all
five women walked slowly toward the house. "I was talking with Abby
Daggett, and she was telling me about your wanting to get back the
old furniture that used to be in the house. It seems Henry Daggett
has put up a notice in the post office; but so far, he says, not very
many pieces have been heard from. You know the men-folks generally go
after the mail, and men are slow; there's no denying that. As like as
not they haven't even mentioned seeing the notice to the folks at
home."

"That's so," confirmed Mrs. Dodge, nodding her head. "I don't know as
Jim would ever tell us anything that happened from morning till
night. We just have to pump things out of him; don't we, Fanny? He'd
never tell without we did. His father was just the