they
belonged and ground to powder. Half the roof had been deposited between
the road and the rest of the debris as carefully as if it had been lifted
by some gigantic machinery, and was unhurt, while the other side,
splintered and riddled, was jumbled together with joists, siding, and
kitchen chairs.

They spent but little time over the ruin of treasures, but after a hurried
breakfast, consisting of such eggs as they could find about the haystacks,
and coffee--rainsoaked, but still coffee, which was dug out of a stone jar
where it had fallen--the men went at once for help.

In spite of bridges washed out, and many hindrances, sympathetic farmers
began to gather within two hours after Luther had started out. The lumber
he had offered was brought and many willing hands began the erection of
the simple four-room house on the old foundation. The place was cleared,
furniture carried to one side, while broken timbers were carried to the
other and sorted, nails drawn, and every available stick laid in neat
piles ready for those who had brought saws and hammers for building.

Susan and Elizabeth sorted the soaked and muddy clothing, carpets, and
bedclothes, and Mrs. Chamberlain and other neighbour women, around a great
out-of-door fire near the well, washed and spread the clothes on the grass
to dry.

As if by magic, a house arose before night and, minus doors and windows,
but otherwise ready for occupancy, offered its shelter to the tired but
grateful family. Broken bedsteads had been mended and put in place,
feather-beds had been dried in the hot sun, straw ticks had been filled
with clean hay; broken chairs nailed or wired together occupied their old
places; the kitchen safe, with its doors replaced but shutting grudgingly,
was in its old corner, and the unplastered house had a look of homey
comfort in spite of the lack of some of its usual features.

Luther, who was a sort of carpenter, donated his services for several
days, and except for patches of new weather-boarding or shingles mixed
with the old there was little to indicate the path of a cyclone in the
country. Yes, there was a pile of splintered boards tossed roughly
together not far from the back door, and the usual fuel of corncobs was
below par.

CHAPTER IX

"AGAINST HER INSTINCTS, AGAINST HER BETTER
JUDGMENT, AGAINST HER WILL"

Mrs. Hunter did not come to help, nor to call upon Elizabeth and Susan
Hornby, after the disaster, and Elizabeth was f