s Hands, if 'tisn't too much to ask?"

"I don't know as I care which it is," cried Mary, earnestly,--Calvin
winced, and dropped the tomato, which rolled slowly down the cellar door
and plumped into the snow,--"so long as it's one of 'em. They ought to
have a woman _belongin'_ to them, Mr. Parks, as would take an interest
in things because they was hers, you understand, and care for whichever
one she'd marry and the other one too. They'd never ought to have been
_let_ act so foolish. You see, they'd always had a woman to do for 'em,
and think for 'em, and _live_ for 'em; and the minute she was gone they
fell to pieces, kind of; 'tis often so with men folks," she said simply.
"They ain't calc'lated to be alone. But even now, if there was a woman
belongin' to 'em, that had the right to say how things should be, I
believe she could bring 'em together in no time."

There was a long silence, Mary turning tomatoes, Calvin staring straight
ahead of him with the same wooden countenance. At length he cleared his
throat and spoke slowly and laboriously.

"There's something in what you say, Miss Hands, and I'm bound to confess
that--that I've had thoughts of something of the kind before you spoke.
But--well, we'll put it this way. Which of them two old--of them two
individuals, we'll call 'em for this once--would a woman be likely to
fancy? I--I should be pleased to have your opinion on that p'int."

Mary considered, turning the Crimson Cushions meanwhile with a careful
hand. Calvin, misunderstanding her silence, went on.

"What I mean is--if a woman was thinkin' of matrimony--" he winced
again, seeming to hear Mr. Sam's voice squeaking out the word,--"if a
woman was thinkin' of matrimony, and one of them two should take her
fancy more than the other--why--a person as was friendly to all
concerned might try his hand in the way of helpin' to bring it about."

Mary glanced up quickly at him, but no friendly twinkle responded to her
glance. Calvin's brown eyes were still dark with trouble, and he still
stared moodily away from her.

"'Tis hard to say!" she replied after a pause. "Cousin Sim needs the
most care."

"He does so!" said Calvin Parks. "Sim certinly needs care. And--he's a
home-lovin' man, Simeon is, and sober, and honest. There's things you
could find in Sim that's no worse than what you'd find in some others, I
make no doubt; and--and any one would have a first-rate home, and every
comfort."

"Oh! Mr. Parks, but