o set the
small table for two. "I believe we're gettin' back, after all, Rebecca.
The's one thing sure. Everybody knows that ye lose a day every time you
go round the world once from east to west, an' I'm sure we've gone round
often enough to lose years. I believe that indicator's all right."

"We've not ben goin' round the world, though," Rebecca replied. "That's
the p'int. This old iron clothes-pole out here ain't the hull world, I
can tell ye!"

"Well, but all the meridians----"

"Oh, bother yer meridians! I ain't seen one o' the things yet--nor you
hevn't, either, Phoebe Wise!"

Phoebe was not convinced. It seemed not at all unreasonable, after
all, that they should lose time without undergoing any physical change.
She concluded to argue the matter no further, however.

Their meal was eaten in silence. As they rose to clear the table,
Phoebe said:

"Th' ain't any use of goin' back to 1876 now, is there, Rebecca. Though
I do s'pose it won't make any difference to Mr. Droop. He can bring out
his inventions an'----"

"Not with my money, or Joe Chandler's, either," Rebecca declared,
firmly. "Not as Joe'd ask me to marry him now. He'd as soon think o'
marryin' his grandmother."

"Then what's the use o' goin' back any further. We might's well stop the
machine right now, so's not to have so many more turns to wind up
again."

"Fiddlesticks!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Don't you fret about that! Don't I
tell ye it's folderol! Tell ye what ye can do, though. Open them
shutters out there an' let in some sunlight. I've more'n half a mind to
open a window, too. Thet smell o' rum in there makes me sick."

"We'd freeze to death in a minute if we tried it," said Phoebe, as she
entered the main room.

She went to each of the four windows and opened all the shutters,
avoiding in the meantime even a glance at the middle of the room. She
did not forget the date indicator, however.

"Merry Christmas!" she cried, with a little laugh. "It's Christmas-day,
1886, Rebecca."

The engine-room door was open. Perhaps it was a sign of her returning
youth, but the fact is her fingers itched to get at those bright,
tempting brass and steel handles. Droop had explained their uses and she
felt sure she could manage the machinery. What a delightful thing it
would be to feel the Panchronicon obeying her hand!

"Really, Rebecca," she exclaimed, "if we're not going back to '76 after
all, I think it's a dreadful waste of time for us to be thr