alf of it to
Mrs. Brooks, little beside the news that the Waterman barn, the finest
barn in the whole township, had been struck by lightning and burned
to the ground. Stephen was away at the time, having taken Rufus to
Portland, where an operation on his eyes would shortly be performed at
the hospital, and one of the neighbors was sleeping at the River Farm
and taking care of the cattle; still the house might not have been saved
but for one of Alcestis Crambry's sudden bursts of common sense, which
occurred now quite regularly. He succeeded not only in getting the
horses out of the stalls, but gave the alarm so promptly that the whole
neighborhood was soon on the scene of action. Stephen was the only man,
Mite reminded Rose, who ever had any patience with, or took any pains to
teach, Alcestis, but he never could have expected to be rewarded in this
practical way. The barn was only partly insured; and when she had met
Stephen at the station next day, and condoled with him on his loss,
he had said: "Oh, well, Mite, a little more or less does n't make much
difference just now."

"The rest would n't interest you, Mrs. Brooks," said Rose, precipitately
preparing to leave the room.

"Something about Claude, I suppose," ventured that astute lady. "I think
Mite kind of fancied him. I don't believe he ever gave her any real
encouragement; but he'd make love to a pump, Claude Merrill would, and
so would his father before him. How my sister Abby made out to land him
we never knew, for they said he'd proposed to every woman in the town
of Bingham, not excepting the wooden Indian girl in front of the
cigar-store, and not one of 'em but our Abby ever got a chance to name
the day. Abby was as set as the everlastin' hills, and if she'd made up
her mind to have a man he could n't wriggle away from her nohow in
the world. It beats all how girls do run after these slick-haired,
sweet-tongued, Miss Nancy kind o' fellers, that ain't but little good as
beaux an' worth less than nothing as husbands."

Rose scarcely noticed what Mrs. Brooks said, she was too anxious to read
the rest of Mite Shapley's letter in the quiet of her own room.

Stephen looks thin and pale [so it ran on], but he does not allow anybody
to sympathize with him. I think you ought to know something that I have n't
told before for fear of hurting your feelings; but if I were in your place
I'd like to hear everything, and then you'll know how to act when you c