o young girls to struggle on as best they could. With the
youthful help of these sturdy girls he could undertake the office of
caretaker, and, as pretty living rooms were furnished them in the high,
airy basement, the family felt almost as if they had been transported to
Paradise after the terrible experiences of the past winter, with a mere
shed for shelter, the coal running short at too frequent intervals, and
meat only compassed as a rare luxury on the "lucky" days when one or the
other could pick up an extra nickel, or two, by some special good
fortune.

To all the questions and conjectures over this miracle of a house Mr.
Dalton opposed an impassive front. "It is none of my doing," he averred
brusquely. "I never should have thought of it, and wouldn't have built
it if I had, no matter who furnished the money, for I don't believe
you'll appreciate it, or take care of it. But all I've got to say is, if
any one of you do abuse it, and go to spitting on the floor, or hacking
up the woodwork, or pulling things out of shape in any way, you'll be
lower than any truck that I care to have around, and you'll have me to
deal with when I'm at my ugliest--you understand what that means!"

The men, who had been grouped in the yard after hours, talking it over,
and whose hail for information as he passed by had brought out his
vigorous remarks, looked at each other and grinned half sheepishly. Then
one spoke up sturdily:

"I guess we know good manners when we see 'em, boss! We ain't pigs, nor
tramps."

Dalton laughed in his curt fashion.

"You know well enough, but you don't care pretty often. If young Early
is decent enough to give you boys a chance at some pleasure, you want to
show you appreciate it--that's all. And when you get your invite to the
house-warming, you'll be expected to show up as the gentlemen you can be
when you try."

Billy May, once a sailor, straightened up and touched his cap.

"Ay, ay, sir!" he bellowed, as if receiving orders in a towering gale,
at which all laughed and Dalton, smiling in spite of himself, passed on.

The invitations came in good time, and were in a somewhat comprehensive
form, each being addressed to the householder in person, with the words,
"and whole family" added. No family was forgotten, but as the building
could not accommodate the whole village, two evenings were set for the
reception and opening, all the names up to N, in alphabetical order,
being chosen for Tuesday even