own here to see me," said Uncle Ike.

"That's just what I came to see you about," said Ezekiel. "The greatest
favor you can do Alice and me is to come up to the old house and live
with us for a while and be company for Alice. You can have the big front
room that father and mother used to have, and Alice's room, you know, is
just side of that. In a little while I shall have to be busy on the farm
and poor Alice--"

"Don't talk any more about it, 'Zeke," said Uncle Ike. "Of course I'll
come. She will do me as much good as I'll do her. Send down the boys
with the team to-morrow noon and I'll be all settled by the time you get
back."

"I'll do it," said Ezekiel. "It is very good of you. Uncle Ike, to give
up your little home here that you like so much and come to live with us.
I know you wouldn't do it for anybody but Alice, and I'll leave her to
thank you when she gets down here."

Uncle Ike and Ezekiel shook hands warmly.

"Don't you need any money, 'Zeke?" asked Uncle Ike.

"No," replied Ezekiel. "Alice wouldn't let me pay out a cent; she had
some money saved up in the bank and she insisted on paying for
everything herself. She wouldn't come home till I promised 'her I'd let
her pay her board when she got able to work again."

"She always was independent," said Uncle Ike, "and that was one reason
why I liked her. But more than that, she is the fairest-minded and
best-tempered woman I ever met in my life, and I have seen a good many."

Ezekiel shook hands again with Uncle Ike, and then started off briskly
with a much lighter heart than he had before the interview. Reaching
home he astonished Mandy Skinner by telling her that he was going to
bring his sister down from Boston and that Uncle Ike was coming to live
with them for a while.

"My Lord!" cried Mandy, "and do you expect me to do all this extra
work?"

"I don't expect nothing," said Ezekiel. "You can get old Mrs. Crowley to
come and do the heavy work, and I guess you can get along. You allus
said you liked her, she was such a nice washer and ironer. She can have
the little room over the ell, and I'll give you a dollar a week extra
for your trouble. Do you think you can get along, Mandy?"

Mandy answered, "I know I can with your sister all right, but if your
Uncle Ike comes out here in the kitchen and tells me how to roast meat
and make pies, as he did once, there will be trouble, and he may have to
do all the cooking."

Ezekiel smiled, but said nothin