nd
his clothes press, could never do anything for the comfort of
his little sister. He went home and electrified Mrs. Nettley
with the intelligence that he must leave her and seek larger
quarters, which he knew her house could not give.

"To be sure," said Mrs. Nettley in a brown study, -- "the
kitchen's the kitchen, -- and there must be a parlour, -- and
George's painting room, -- and the other's my bedroom, -- and
George sleeps in that other little back attic. -- Well, Mr.
Landholm, let's think about it. We'll see what _can_ be done. We
can't let you go away -- George would rather sleep on the
roof."

"He would do what is possible, Mrs. Nettley; and so would I."

It was found to be possible that "the other little back attic"
should be given up. Winthrop never knew how, and was not
allowed to know. But it was so given that he could not help
taking. It was plain that they would have been worse
straitened than in their accommodations, if he had refused
their kindness and gone somewhere else.

Mrs. Nettley would gladly have done what she could towards
furnishing the same little back attic for Winnie's use; but on
this point Winthrop was firm. He gathered himself the few
little plain things the room wanted, from the cheapest sources
whence they could be obtained; even that was a serious drain
upon his purse. He laid in a further supply of fuel, for
Winnie's health, he knew, would not stand the old order of
things, -- a fire at meal-times and an old cloak at other times
when it was not very cold. Happily it was late in the season
and much more fire would not be needed; a small stock of wood
he bought, and carried up and bestowed in the closet; he could
put his clothes in Winnie's room now and the closet need no
longer act as a wardrobe. A few very simple stores to add to
Mother Hubbard's shelves, and Winthrop had stretched his
limited resources pretty well, and had not much more left than
would take him to Wut-a-qut-o, and bring him back again.

"I don't see but I shall have to sell the farm," said Mr.
Landholm on this next visit of his son's.

"Why, sir?"

"To pay off the mortgage -- that mortgage to Mr. Haye."

Winthrop was silent.

"I can't meet the interest on it; --I haven't been able to pay
any these five years," said Mr. Landholm with a sigh. "If he
don't foreclose, I must. -- I guess I'll take Asahel and go to
the West."

"Don't do it hastily, father."

"No," said Mr. Landholm with another sigh; -