se, with what they had brought from home, made their supper.

Then Mr McQueen brought out his notched stick. "We've sold the pig,"
he said, with his finger on the first notch, "and the butter and eggs
was the second notch." Then he went over all the other notches. "And
besides all else I've bought Herself a shawl," he said to the Twins.

The Twins wanted to get home because the Secret was getting so big
inside of them, they knew they couldn't possibly hold it in much longer,
and they didn't want to let it out until they were at home and could
tell their Father and Mother both at the same time. So they said
good-bye to Diddy, and Eileen took off the ribbons and kept them to
remember her by. Then they hurried away.

It was after dark when at last they drove into the yard. Mrs McQueen
came running to the door to greet them and hear all about the Fair.

Eileen and Larry told her about the prize, and about Lady Kathleen
buying the pig, and about seeing the Tinker, while their Father was
putting up Colleen.

Then when he came in with all his bundles, and took the three golden
sovereigns out of his pocket, to show to the Mother, the Twins couldn't
keep still another minute. "It's for you! To pay the rent!" they
cried.

The Father and Mother looked at each other. "Now, what are they at
all," said Mrs McQueen, "but the best children in the width of the
world? Wasn't I after telling you that we'd make it out somehow? And
to think of her being a thoroughbred like that, and we never knowing it
at all." She meant the pig!

But Mr McQueen never said a word. He just gave Larry and Eileen a
great hug. Then Mr McQueen went over all the errands with his wife,
and last of all he brought out the shawl. "There, old woman," he said,
"is a fairing for you!"

"The Saints be praised for this day!" cried Mrs McQueen. "The rent
paid, and me with a fine new shawl the equal of any in the parish."

It was a happy family that went to bed in the little farmhouse that
night. Only Mrs McQueen didn't sleep well. She got up a number of
times in the night to be sure there were no Tinkers prowling about.
"For one can't be too careful with so much money in the house," she said
to herself.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

SUNDAY.

The next Sunday all the McQueen family went to Mass and Mrs McQueen
wore her new shawl. The chapel was quite a distance away, and as they
walked and all the neighbours walked, too, they had a pleasant time