as a Greenland twilight and the tenth as balmy as a Florida
noon--no matter; on the ninth Mr. Hammond wore light underwear and
shivered; on the tenth he wore his "flannels" and perspired. It was
another of his principles, and Caleb had a deserved reputation for
adhering to principle and being "sot" in his ways.

So, when, on this particular tenth of November, this Sabbath morning,
he rose, conscious of the sandwiches and "tonic," and found no suit of
flannels ready for him to don, his grouch began to develop. He opened
his chamber door a crack and shouted through the crack.

"Mrs. Barnes," he called. "Hi--i, Mrs. Barnes!"

Thankful, still busy in the kitchen, where she had been joined by
Imogene, sent the latter to find out what was the matter. Imogene
returned, grinning.

"He wants his flannels," she announced. "Wants to know where them winter
flannels Mrs. Pease sent home yesterday are. Why, ain't they in his
room, he says."

Thankful sniffed. Her experience with Miss Timpson, and the worry caused
by the latter's leaving, had had their effect upon her patience.

"Mercy sakes!" she exclaimed. "Is that all? I thought the house was
afire. I don't know where his flannels are. Why should I? Where'd
Melindy put 'em when she brought 'em here?"

Imogene chuckled. "I don't think she brought 'em at all," she replied.
"She wa'n't here yesterday. She--why, yes, seems to me Kenelm said he
heard she was sick abed with a cold."

Thankful nodded. "So she is," she said. "Probably the poor thing ain't
had time to finish mendin' 'em. It's a good deal of a job, I guess. She
told me once that that Hammond man wore his inside clothes till they
wa'n't anything BUT mendin', just hung together with patches, as you
might say. His suits and overcoats are all right enough 'most always,
but he can't seem to bear to spend money for anything underneath.
Perhaps he figgers that patches are good as anything else, long's they
don't show. Imogene, go tell him Melindy didn't fetch 'em."

Imogene went and returned with her grin broader than ever.

"He says she did bring 'em," she announced. "Says she always brings him
his things on the ninth. He's pretty peppery this mornin', seems to me.
Says he don't cal'late to stand there and freeze much longer."

"Freeze! Why, it's the warmest day we've had for a fortni't. The sun's
come out and it's cleared up fine, like Indian summer. Oh, DO be still!"
as another shout for "Mrs. Barnes" came from above