s sister. She may look the
best of the bunch to him, but he's never sure."

"She is lovely," said Lydia Orr. She pointed to the shadowy house.
"That must have been a nice place once."

"Best in the village; show place. Say, what in the name of common
sense do you want to buy it for?"

"Who told you?"

"Oh, I met old Whittle just before I met you. He told me. The place
must be terribly run down. It will cost a mint of money to get it in
shape."

"I have considerable money," stated the girl quite simply.

"Well, it's none of my business, but you will have to sink
considerable in that place, and perhaps when you are through it won't
be satisfactory."

"I have taken a notion to it," said the girl. She spoke very shyly.
Her curiously timid, almost apologetic manner returned suddenly. "I
suppose it does look strange," she added.

"Nobody's business how it looks," said Jim, "but I think you ought to
know the truth about it, and I think I am more likely to give you
information than Whittle. Of course he has an ax to grind. Perhaps if
I had an ax to grind, you couldn't trust me."

"Yes, I could," returned the girl with conviction. "I knew that the
minute I looked at you. I always know the people I can trust. I know
I could not trust Deacon Whittle. I made allowances, the way one does
for a clock that runs too fast or too slow. I think one always has to
be doing addition or subtraction with people, to understand them."

"Well, you had better try a little subtraction with me."

"I don't have to. I didn't mean with everybody. Of course there are
exceptions. That was a beautiful skin you gave me. I didn't half
thank you."

"Nonsense. I was glad to give it."

"Do you hunt much?"

"About all I am good for except to run our little farm and do odd
jobs. I used to work in the chair factory."

"I shouldn't think you would have liked that."

"Didn't; had to do what I could."

"What would you like to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. I never had any choice, so I never gave it any
thought. Something that would keep me out of doors, I reckon."

"Do you know much about plants and trees?"

"I don't know whether I know much; I love them, that's all."

"You could do some landscape gardening for a place like this, I
should think."

Jim stared at her, and drew himself up haughtily. "It really is late,
Miss Orr," he said. "I think, if you will allow me, I will take you
home."

"What are you angry about?"

"I am not angry."