hung extra clevises, buckles, straps, and such
materials as accidents to farm machinery required. John's mending was well
provided for and well done. Elizabeth would have loved just this sort of
order if it had not been so costly.

The little cow was so hungry that she hardly knew that she was giving her
milk into a foreign receptacle till a voice at the stable door made her
jump so violently that the pail was knocked over and Elizabeth had to
scramble hastily to avoid a similar fate.

"Well, now, there you be! Gosh-a-livin's!----"

Silas Chamberlain never finished that speech. The milk from the rolling
pail spattered over his feet as he sprang to Elizabeth's rescue. The
little cow tore at the rope that held her, and every mate she had in the
stable joined her in snorting and threatening to bolt over the mangers.
The old man, "So-bossied," and vented all the soothing cattle talk he
could command while he looked on in embarrassed confusion.

"Now ain't that jes' like me?" he queried in dismay. "Look what I've gone
an' done!" He picked up the empty pail and handed it to the man that was
with him to keep it from being trampled upon by the plunging cows, while
he tried to establish confidential relations with them.

"Never mind, Mr. Chamberlain. She's only a heifer and never milked before.
She wouldn't have let me get that far without trouble, anyhow, if she
hadn't been so hungry. The hogs killed her calf last night or this morning
and I thought I'd milk her before I began on the rest. I don't suppose
John can get home before to-morrow night, and the chores had to be done.
Here, there's an extra bucket or two. Do you want to help milk? they'll
quit fussing in a minute."

"Course I do. That's what Noland an' I come for. This is Mrs. Hunter,
Noland," Silas said, remembering formalities at the last moment. "We
thought John wouldn't 'a' got back 'fore th' storm come on. Now let's get
this milkin' done 'fore dark or we'll be havin' t' ask for a lantern."

"Oh! Mr. Chamberlain, I forgot to tell you that Luther Hansen got caught
in the storm and nearly froze," Elizabeth said when they had settled
themselves to the work. "He's at our house now; his feet and hands are
awful. I think they're all right, but I wish we could get at Doctor
Morgan."

The old man nearly upset the milk a second time in his astonishment, and
the milking was cut as short as could decently be done so as to get to the
house. The early winter night had