in't been much fruit
there since I can remember. All run down."

And, indeed, Hillcrest looked to be, as they approached it, a typical
run-down farm. Tall, dry weed-stalks clashed a welcome to them from the
fence corners as the ponies turned into the lane from the public road. The
sun had drawn a veil of cloud across his face and the wind moaned in the
gaunt branches of the beech trees that fringed the lane.

The house was set upon a knoll, with a crumbling, roofed porch around
the front and sides. There were trees, but they were not planted near
enough to the house to break the view on every side but one of the
sloping, green and brown mountainside, falling away in terraced fields,
patches of forest, tablelands of rich, tillable soil, and bush-cluttered
pastures, down into the shadowy valley, through which the river and the
railroad wound.

Behind Hillcrest, beyond the outbuildings, and across the narrow,
poverty-stricken fields, were the battlements of rock, shutting out all
view but that of the sky.

Lonely it was, as Aunt Jane had declared; but to the youthful eyes of the
Bray girls the outlook was beautiful beyond compare!

"Our land jines this farm down yonder a piece," explained Lucas, drawing
in the ponies beside the old house. "Ye ain't got nobody behind ye till
ye git over the top of the ridge. Your line follers the road on this side,
and on the other side of the road is Eben Brewster's stock farm of a
thousand acres--mostly bush-parsture an' rocks, up this a-way."

The girls were but momentarily interested in the outlook, however. It was
the old house itself which their bright eyes scanned more particularly
as they climbed down from the wagon.

There were two wings, or "ells." In the west wing was the kitchen and
evidently both sitting and sleeping rooms, upstairs and down--enough to
serve all their present needs. Aunt Jane had told them that there were,
altogether, twenty-two rooms in the old house.

Lucas hitched his horses and then began to lift down their luggage. Lyddy
led the way to the side door, of which she had the key.

The lower windows were defended by tight board shutters, all about the
house. The old house had been well guarded from the depredations of casual
wayfarers. Had tramps passed this way the possible plunder in the old
house had promised to be too bulky to attract them; and such wanderers
could have slept as warmly in the outbuildings.

Lyddy inserted the key and, after some