o was the practical member of the
family, "this is all very well, but we Bucknors can't sit back and let
this little Judy Buck support our old cousin. The girl works night and
day for a living and to try to pull the farm her Grandfather Knight
left her and her mother back into some kind of fertility. Old Billy
and Cousin Ann may set the table and make the fires, but that isn't
bringing any money into the business. We've got to reimburse the girl
somehow."

"She wouldn't stand for it," said Jeff. "She is as proud as can be to
be able to have Cousin Ann visit her."

"Well, then we'll have to find a way that won't hurt her pride. Let's
send things to Cousin Ann. It will please the old lady and at the same
time help on our Cousin Judith."

"What kind of things?" asked Mr. Bob Bucknor, who had been singularly
quiet and thoughtful ever since his mind was relieved as to his
cousin's not being lost.

"The kind of things neighbors and kinsmen do for one another in our
state and all other states where neighbors are neighborly and where
blood is thicker than water, and blue blood thicker than any other
kind," exclaimed Big Josh. "When you kill mutton don't you send me a
quarter? Well, send one to the Bucks instead. When your potato crop
was a failure owing to the bugs getting ahead of you, didn't I share
with you? Well, let me share with this girl. When I harvest, aren't
all the relations ready to send hands to help if I need help? Who ever
helped Judith Buck?

"I bet your smokehouse is full and running over this minute. I know
mine is. Well, let them run over in the right channel. We can't do
enough for this young cousin. Gee, man, just to think of our being
spared the humiliation of having to go to Cousin Ann and, tell her
that we couldn't look after her any longer! I break out in a cold
sweat whenever I think of how near we came to it.

"If Cupid and Puck can't pull the plough, how about sending your
tractor over and getting Cousin Judith's few acres broken up for her
in three shakes of a dead sheep's tail? I'd do it if I were closer.
Why, jiminy crickets! We owe her an everlasting debt of gratitude just
for persuading Cousin Ann to step out of her wig and hoops, and
another one for making that old Billy trim his beard. I believe his
beard was what made the other darkeys hate him so, and I know if it
hadn't have been for Cousin Ann's hoop skirt and wig she would have
been helping the women folk around the house long bef