f Mrs. Armstrong. Then he drew himself up.

"Because," he declared, "I've rented it furnished to this lady
here. And, that bein' the case, it ain't mine just now and I ain't
got any right to be in it. And," his voice rising in desperation,
"neither has anybody else."

Mrs. George Powless went a few moments later; before she went she
expressed her opinion of Mr. Winslow's behavior. Mr. George
Powless followed her, expressing his opinion as he went. The
object of their adjuration sat down upon a rush-bottomed chair and
rubbed his chin.

"Lord!" he exclaimed, with fervor. Mrs. Armstrong looked at him in
amazement.

"Why, Mr. Winslow!" she exclaimed, and burst out laughing.

Jed groaned. "I know how Jonah felt after the whale unloaded him,"
he drawled. "That woman all but had me swallered. If you hadn't
been here she would."

"Jed!" shouted a voice outside. "Jed, where are you?"

Mr. Winslow raised his head. "Eh?" he queried. "That's Sam
hollerin', ain't it?"

It was Captain Hunniwell and a moment later he entered the little
sitting-room. When he saw who his friend's companions were he
seemed greatly surprised.

"Why, Mrs. Armstrong!" he exclaimed. "Are you here? Now that's a
funny thing. The last time I saw Jed I warned him I was goin' to
send you here to look at this house. And you came without bein'
sent, after all; eh?"

Jed stared at him. Before the lady could reply he spoke. "What?"
he cried. "Was she--Sam Hunniwell, was it HER you was goin' to
send to see about hirin' this house?"

"Sure it was. Why not?"

Jed pointed toward the door. "Then--then who," he demanded, "sent
those Powlesses here?"

"No one that I know of. And anyhow they don't want to rent any
houses. They've bought land over at Harnissport and they're goin'
to build a house of their own there."

"They are? They are? Then--then WHAT did that woman say I'd got
to show her the inside of this house for?"

"I don't know. Did she? Oh, I tell you what she was after,
probably. Some one had told her about your old furniture and
things, Jed. She's the greatest antique hunter on earth, so they
tell me. That's what she was after--antiques."

Jed, having paused until this had sunk in, groaned.

"Lord!" he said, again. "And I went and--"

Another groan finished the sentence.

Mrs. Armstrong came forward.

"Please don't worry about it, Mr. Winslow," she said. "I know you
didn't mean it. Of course, knowing