es,
one at a time, as we needed them."

"And springs?"

"Some of the bedsteads are roped like the one we sleep on. Others have
old-fashioned spiral springs--and there are no better made to-day. The
rust can be cleaned off and they can be painted."

"I see plainly you're laying out a lot of work for us," sighed 'Phemie.

"Well, we've got to work to live," responded her sister, briskly.

"Ya-as," drawled 'Phemie, in imitation of Lucas Pritchett. "But I don't
want to feel as though I was just living to work!"

"Lazybones!" laughed Lyddy. "You know, if we really got started in this
game----"

"A game; is it? Keeping boarders!"

"Well?"

"I fancy it's downright hard work," quoth 'Phemie.

"But if it makes us independent? If it will keep poor father out of the
shop? If it can be made to support us?" cried Lyddy.

'Phemie flushed suddenly and her eyes sparkled. She seized her more sedate
sister and danced her about the room.

"Oh, I don't care how hard I work if it'll do all that!" she agreed. "Come
on, Lyd! Let's write to Aunt Jane right away."

CHAPTER X

THE VENTURE

But Lyddy Bray never made up her mind in a hurry. Perhaps she was inclined
to err on the side of caution.

Whereas 'Phemie eagerly accepted a new thing, was enthusiastic about it
for a time, and then tired of it unless she got "her second wind," as she
herself laughingly admitted, Lyddy would talk over a project a long time
before she really decided to act upon it.

It was so in this case. Once having seen the vista of possibilities that
Lyddy's plan revealed, the younger girl was eager to plunge into the
summer-boarder project at once. But Lyddy was determined to know just what
they had to work with, and just what they would need, before broaching the
plan to Aunt Jane.

So she insisted upon giving a more than cursory examination to each
of the eight chambers on this second floor. Some of the pieces of old
furniture needed mending; but most of the mending could be done with
a pot of glue and a little ingenuity. Furthermore, a can of prepared
varnish and some linseed oil and alcohol would give most of the well-made
and age-darkened furniture the gloss it needed.

There were old-style stone-china toilet sets in profusion, and plenty of
mirrors, while there was closet room galore. The main lack, as 'Phemie
had pointed out, was in the mattress line.

But when the girls climbed to the garret floor they found one finished
room ther