ing country. This Lucy was
probably a strapping lass, who in exchange for her three meals would turn
off a generous day's work. Viewed from every standpoint the scheme was an
inspiration.

Ellen hoped it would not fail. Now that she had made up her mind to carry
through the plan, she could not brook the possibility of being thwarted.

Once more she took the letter from its envelope and read it. Yes, it was
excellent. Were she to write it all over again she could not improve it.
Therefore she affixed the stamp and address and, summoning Tony, the
Portuguese lad who slaved for her, she sent him to the village to mail
it.

For two weeks she awaited an answer, visiting the post office each day
with a greater degree of interest than she had exhibited toward any
outside event for a long stretch of years.

Her contact with the world was slight and infrequent. Now and then she was
obliged to harness up and drive to the village for provisions; to have the
horse shod; or to sell her garden truck; but she never went unless forced
to do so. A hermit by nature, she had no friends and wanted none.

Her only neighbors were the Howes, and beyond the impish pleasure she
derived from taunting Martin, they had no interest for her. The sisters
were timid, inoffensive beings enough; but had they been three times as
inoffensive they were nevertheless Howes; moreover, Ellen did not care for
docile people. She was a fighter herself and loved a fighter. That was the
reason she had always cherished a covert admiration for Martin. His temper
appealed to her; so did his fearlessness and his mulish attitude toward
the wall. Such qualities she understood. But with these cringing sisters
of his who allowed him to tyrannize over them she had nothing in common.
Had she not seen them times without number watch him out of sight and then
leap to air his blankets, beat his coat, or perform some service they
dared not enact in his presence? Bah! Thank Heaven she was afraid of
nobody and was independent of her fellow men.

Save for the assistance of the hard-worked Tony whom she paid--paid
sparingly she confessed, but nevertheless _paid_--she attended to her own
plowing, planting, and harvesting, and was beholden to nobody. The world
was her natural enemy. To outwit it; to beat it at a bargain; to conquer
where it sought to oppress her; to keep its whining dogs of pain, poverty,
and loneliness ever at bay; to live without obligation to it; and die
unda