ome
now?"

"Nop. He's up in Concannon's woods yet. They've took a new
contrac'--him and Mr. Trimmins. An' mebbe it'll last all Summer. Dear
me! I hope so. Then pop won't be home to drink up all the money mom
earns."

"I will come down to-morrow," Janice promised, for she was busy just
then and could not accompany Sophie to Pine Cove.

This was Saturday afternoon and Janice was on her way to the steamboat
dock to see if certain freight had arrived by the _Constance Colfax_
for Hopewell Drugg's store. She was doing all she could to help 'Rill
conduct the business while the storekeeper was away.

During the week she had scarcely been home to the Day house at all.
Marty had run the car over to the Drugg place in the morning in time
for her to start for Middletown; and in the afternoon her cousin had
come for the Kremlin and driven it across town to the garage again.

This Saturday she would not use the car, for she wished to help 'Rill,
and Marty had taken a party of his boy friends out in the Kremlin.
Marty had become a very efficient chauffeur now and could be trusted,
so his father said, not to try to hurdle the stone walls along the way,
or to make the automobile climb the telegraph poles.

"Marm" Parraday was sweeping the front porch and steps of the Lake View
Inn. Although the Inn had become very well patronized now, the
tavernkeeper's vigorous wife was not above doing much of her own work.

"Oh, Janice Day! how be ye?" she called to the girl. "I don't see ye
often," and Mrs. Parraday smiled broadly upon her.

As Janice came nearer she saw that Marm Parraday did not look as she
once did. Her hair had turned very gray, there were deeper lines in
her weather-beaten face, and a trembling of her lips and hands made
Janice's heart ache.

If the Inn was doing well and Lem Parraday was prospering, his wife
seemed far from sharing in the good times that appeared to have come to
the Lake View Inn.

The great, rambling house had been freshened with a coat of bright
paint; the steps and porch and porch railings were mended; the sod was
green; the flower gardens gay; the gravel of the walks and driveway
freshly raked; while the round boulders flanking the paths were
brilliant with whitewash.

"Why!" said Janice honestly, "the old place never looked so nice
before, Mrs. Parraday. You have done wonders this Spring. I hope you
will have a prosperous season."

Mrs. Parraday clutched the girl's arm tightly.