und here and occupy the
position you do, I don't see."

But when he remembered Mrs. Miner's words about the children, another
consideration came in. Suppose he should take the children with
him--that was the point; that was the uncertain part of the problem. It
did not require any thought to remember that the law took very little
consideration of the woman's feelings. He said to himself that if he
ever became judge, he would certainly give decisions that would send
such a man as Miner simply whirling out into space.

Miner was in the barn when Morris clambered up the ladder with a bunch
of shingles on his shoulder, about seven o'clock. He came out and said:

"Say, you want to fix that window up there."

"Get away from there!" shouted Morris, in uncontrollable rage, "or I'll
smash this bunch of shingles on your cursed head. Don't you open that
ugly p'tater trap at me, you bow-legged little skunk! I'm goin' to lick
you like a sock before I'm done with you."

He would have done so then had he been on the ground, but he disdained
taking the trouble to climb down. He planned to catch him when he came
up to dinner. The more he thought of it the more his indignation waxed.
As he grew to hate the man more, he began to entertain the suspicions,
which Wilber confessed to in confidence, concerning the burning of the
mill.

They had a cheerful meal together again, for Miner did not come in until
one o'clock. During the nooning Morris finished spading the flower
beds, in spite of Mrs. Miner's entreaties that he should rest. It gave
him great pleasure to work there with her and the children.

"You see, I'm lonesome here," he explained. "Just out of school, and I
miss the boys and girls. I don't know anybody except a few of the
carpenters here, and so--well, I kind of like it. I always helped around
the house at home. It's all fun for me, so don't you say a word. I've
got lots o' muscle to spare, and you're welcome to it."

He spaded away without many words. The warm sun shone down upon them
all, and they made a pretty group. Mrs. Miner, rake in hand, was
pulverizing the beds as fast as he spaded, her face flushed and almost
happy. The children were wrist-deep in the fresh earth, planting twigs
and pebbles, their babble of talk some way akin to the cry of the
woodpecker, the laugh of the robin, the twitter of the sparrow, the
smell of spring, and the merry downpour of sunshine.

Mrs. Miner was silent. She was thinking how di