has 'em all on her string a'ready, from the boy
that brings the cows home for Jabe to the man that takes the butter to
the city. The tin peddler give her a dipper this mornin', and the
fish-man brought her a live fish in a tin-pail. Well, she makes the
house a great sight brighter to live in, you can't deny that, Vildy."

"I ain't denyin' anything in partic'ler. She makes a good deal of work,
I know that much. And I don't want you to get your heart set on one or
both of 'em, for 't won't be no use. We could make out with one of 'em,
I suppose, if we had to, but two is one too many. They seem to set such
store by one another that 't would be like partin' the Siamese twins;
but there, they'd pine awhile, and then they 'd get over it. Anyhow,
they'll have to try."

"Oh yes; you can git over the small-pox, but you'll carry the scars to
your grave most likely. I think 't would be a sin to part them children.
I wouldn't do it no more 'n I'd tear away that scarlit bean that's
twisted itself round 'n' round that pink hollyhock there. I stuck a
stick in the ground, and carried a string to the winder; but I didn't
git at it soon enough, the bean vine kep' on growin' the other way,
towards the hollyhock. Then the other night I got my mad up, 'n' I jest
oncurled it by main force 'n' wropped it round the string, 'n,' if
you'll believe me, I happened to look at it this mornin,' 'n' there it
't was, as nippant as you please, coiled round the hollyhock agin! Then
says I to myself, 'Samantha Ann Ripley, you've known what 't was to be
everlastin'ly hectored 'n' intefered with all your life, now s'posin'
you let that bean have its hollyhock, if it wants it!'"

Miss Vilda looked at her sharply as she said, "Samantha Ann Ripley, I
believe to my soul you're fussin' 'bout Dave Milliken again!

"Well, I ain't! Every time I talk 'bout hollyhocks and scarlit beans I
ain't meanin' Dave Milliken 'n' me,--not by a long chalk! I was only
givin' you my views 'bout partin' them children, that's all!"

"Well, all I can say is," remarked Miss Vilda obstinately, "that those
that's desirous of takin' in two strange children, and boardin' and
lodgin' 'em till they get able to do it for themselves, and runnin' the
resk of their turnin' out heathens and malefactors like the folks they
came from,--can do it if they want to. If I come to see that the baby is
too young to send away anywheres I may keep her a spell, but the boy has
got to go, and that's the