d I."

"I don't know but you're right; but if your plan don't work, remember
mine _will_. Well, Mrs. Betty'll be coming in soon, and I'll leave
you. Meantime I shall just go home and load my guns: I'm out for
Bascom's hide, sooner or later."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XVIII

THE NEW RECTORY

When Betty returned, and Donald told her the happenings of the
morning, the clouds dispersed somewhat, and before long the dictum
that "there is humor in all things"--even in ejection from house and
home--seemed proven true. After lunch they sat in Donald's den, and
were laughingly suggesting every kind of habitat, possible and
impossible, from purchasing and fitting up the iceman's covered wagon
and perambulating round the town, to taking a store and increasing
their income by purveying Betty's tempting preserves and
confections.

Their consultation was interrupted by the arrival of Nickey, armed
with a Boy Scouts' "Manual."

"Gee! Mr. Maxwell: Uncle Jonathan Jackson's all right; I'll never do
another thing to guy him. He's loaned us his tent for our Boy Scouts'
corpse, and I've been studyin' out how to pitch it proper, so I can
show the kids the ropes; but----"

"Donald!" cried Betty. "The very thing--let's camp out on the church
lot."

"By Jinks!" exclaimed Maxwell, unclerically. "We'll have that tent up
this very afternoon--if Nickey will lend it to us, second hand, and
get his men together."

Nickey flushed with delight. "You betcher life I will," he shouted
excitedly. "Is it for a revival stunt? You 'aint goin' to live there,
are you?"

"That's just what we are going to do, if Jonathan and you'll lend us
the tent for a few months. Mr. Bascom wants to let the rectory to some
other tenants, and we've got to find somewhere else to lay our heads.
Why, it's the very way! There's not a thing against it, that I can
see. Let's go and see the tent, and consult Mrs. Burke. Come along,
both of you."

And off they hurried, like three children bent on a new game. It was
soon arranged, and Hepsey rose to the occasion with her usual vim. To
her and Nickey the transportation of the tent was consigned, while
Maxwell went off to purchase the necessary boarding for a floor, and
Mrs. Betty returned to the rectory to pack up their belongings.

"We'll have to occupy our new quarters to-night," said Maxwell, "or
our friend the enemy may raid the church lot in the night, and vanish
with tent and all."

An hour or so later,