made himself a gentleman, but she
didn't have to be made. She is a lady born."

"She must have money, too," said Gus. "She's real generous, I hear; and
I guess it's true, for I know she has a kind way with her."

"I don't know about her having much money," said Rachel, "but she seems
to feel that we all belong to her, somehow, and that she's got to look
after us. If the Works, and the whole town, too, was her own she
couldn't be more interested."

"She consults lots with Dalton," spoke up Dan. "But they say they're
connections of some kind, and he looks after what property she's got."

"Then she has means?" asked Babette.

"Must have considerable," replied Gus. "That old fellow that works for
her told me, once, that if she wanted to she could make a big splurge,
but she wouldn't do it. He hinted as if she had reasons for being so
interested here, but I couldn't pump a thing out of him. I guess he
likes to boast pretty well, and he thinks she made the earth, anyhow."

"It's queer," mused Rachel, "that the new boss has never appeared in all
these changes and improvements. I should think he'd want to see for
himself what's going on. If he cares enough to do so much, he ought to
care enough to come and look on."

"But he's in Europe, ain't he?"

"What makes you think so, Dan?"

"I asked Mr. Dalton, once, if he'd be here before we put in the new
annealing furnace, just to see what he'd say, and he answered that he
thought not. It would be a long time before young Early would reach
these shores. So I concluded he was across the water."

"You didn't like Miss Lavillotte at first, did you, Rachel?" asked young
Peter.

The girl laughed out, a low laugh in deference to the dead.

"Yes, I liked her so well I tried not to notice her! I expected she'd do
something high and mighty to make me mad, so I held myself back. But I
found I didn't need to. I was soon ashamed of it. She can't help looking
different from others. A china cup isn't to blame for looking finer and
whiter than a brown jug. It's made so!"

"Speaking of cups and jugs makes me hungry, somehow," observed Gus,
glancing about him.

"Didn't they say something about a lunch for us, Bab?"

"Yes, it's all fixed there in the cupboard. Want me to make you a cup of
coffee? You know I can make good coffee, Gus."

Babette could not help being coquettish, even amid solemn surroundings
at two o'clock in the morning. As she spoke she glanced sidewise at the
young