a place--if you've got it
to sell," completed this strange old lady, with emphasis.

'Phemie Bray scarcely knew what to say. She was not sure that Mrs. Castle
was quite right in her mind; yet what she said, though so surprising,
sounded like sense.

"I'll leave it to Lyddy; she'll know what to say and do," thought the
younger sister, with faith in the ability of Lyddy to handle any emergency.

And Lyddy handled the old lady as simply as she did everything. She
refused to see anything particularly odd in Mrs. Castle's dress, manner,
or outlook on life.

The old lady chose one of the larger rooms on the second floor, considered
the terms moderate, and approved of everything she saw about the house.

"Make no excuses for giving me a feather bed to sleep on. I believe it
will add half a dozen years to my life," she declared. "Feather beds! My!
I never expected to see such a joy again--let alone experience it."

"Our circle is broadening," said old Mr. Colesworth, at supper that
evening. "Come! I have a three-handed counter for cribbage. Shall we
take Mrs. Castle into our game, Mr. Bray?"

"If she will so honor us," agreed the girls' father, bowing to the little
old lady.

"Well! that's hearty of you," said the brisk Mrs. Castle. "I'll postpone
beginning knitting my son a pair of socks that he'd never wear, until
to-morrow."

For she had actually brought along with her knitting needles and a hank of
grey yarn. It grew into a nightly occurrence, this three-handed cribbage
game. When Mr. Somers had no lessons to "get up," or no examination papers
to mark, he spent the evening with Lyddy and 'Phemie. He even helped
with the dish-wiping and helped to bring in the wood for the morning fires.

Fire was laid in the three chambers, as well as the dining-room, to light
on cold mornings, or on damp days; Lucas had spent a couple more days in
chopping wood. But as the season advanced there was less and less need
of these in the sleeping rooms.

There were, of course, wet and gloomy days, when the old folks were glad
to sit over the dining-room fire, the elements forbidding outdoors to
them. But they kept cheerful. And not a little of this cheerfulness was
spread by Lyddy and 'Phemie. The older girl's thoughtfulness for others
made her much beloved, while 'Phemie's high spirits were contagious.

On Saturday, when Harris Colesworth arrived from town to remain over
Sunday, Hillcrest was indeed a lively place. This very self-