of Lyddy and 'Phemie. The girls were continually going to the window or
door to watch the vast panorama of the mountainside and valley, spread
below them.

"Who _is_ this Mr. Spink?" repeated Lyddy.

Her sister explained what she knew of the man who--once a poorhouse
boy--was now counted a rich man and the proprietor of Diamond Grits,
the popular breakfast food.

"He lived here at Hillcrest as a boy, with grandfather," 'Phemie said.

"But what's _that_ got to do with his coming up here now--and at night?"

"And with Mr. Pritchett?" finished 'Phemie.

"Yes. I am going to ask Mr. Pritchett about it. They surely weren't after
vinegar so late at night," Lyddy observed.

But 'Phemie did not prolong the discussion. In her secret thoughts the
younger Bray girl believed that it was Cyrus Pritchett and Mr. Spink whom
she had heard about the old house the night she and Lyddy had first slept
at Hillcrest.

There was no use worrying Lyddy about it, she told herself.

A little later the roan ponies appeared with the Pritchett buckboard.
Instead of Mrs. Pritchett and her daughter, however, the good lady's
companion on the front seat was Lucas, who drove.

"Oh, dear me!" cried Lyddy. "I hope we haven't turned Miss Pritchett out
of her seat. Surely we three girls could have squeezed in here on the back
seat."

"Nope," said Mrs. Pritchett. "That ain't it, at all. Sairy ain't goin' to
church this mornin'."

"She's not ill?" asked Lyddy.

"I dunno. She ain't got no misery as I can find out; but she sartainly
has a grouch! A bear with a sore head in fly time would be a smilin'
work of Grace 'side of Sairy Pritchett ever since she come home from
the Temperance Club las' night."

"Oh!" came from 'Phemie.

"Why----She surely isn't angry because we went home early?" cried Lyddy.
"My sister, you see, got nervous----"

"I reckon 'taint that," Lucas hastened to say. "More likely she's sore
on me."

"'Tain't nawthin' of the kind, an' you know it, Lucas," declared his
mother. "Though ye might have driven 'round by the schoolhouse ag'in and
brought her home."

"Wal, I thought she'd ride back with school teacher. She went with him,"
returned Lucas, on the defensive.

"She walked home," said Mrs. Pritchett, shortly. "I dunno why. She won't
tell _me_."

"I hope she isn't ill," remarked the unconscious Lyddy.

But Lucas cast a knowing look over his shoulder at 'Phemie and the latter
had hard work to keep her own countenance