se interest.

"We oughtn't ha' did that! That big cow'll eat that little cow up. See
Sapphi--Ruth, see them stairs? Let's drive the little cow up the stair
past the big wagons and keep it all safe and nice," suggested
Benjamin.

So they did; much to the surprise of the calf who bounded up the
stairs readily enough, kicking its heels and cavorting in a most
entrancing fashion; but when they tried to bar the big cow from
following, she rushed past them and also ascended the stairs in a
swift, lumbering manner. The relationship between the big and little
cow now dawned even upon their limited intelligence, though there
still remained the fear that the one would devour the other.

Then the twins turned and gazed upon one another, anxiety upon their
faces; till spying the master of the premises most rapidly approaching
they rushed to meet him, exclaiming:

"The little cow's all safe but how will we get the big cow down?"

How, indeed! Oliver Sands was too angry to speak. For well he knew
that it would require the efforts of all his force of helpers to drive
that valuable Jersey down the stairs she had not hesitated to go up
when driven by maternal love.

With one majestic wave of his hand the miller dismissed his
grandchildren to the house and Dorcas; but so long and so hard he
labored to lure that imprisoned quadruped from his carriage-loft,
that, weary, he went early to bed and slept as he had not for nights.
So, in that it seemed his "waking up" had proved a blessing.

CHAPTER XVII

THE STORY OF THE WORM THAT TURNED

The morning proved fair and cool, ideal weather for their visit to the
County Fair; but Mrs. Calvert decided that a whole day there would be
both inconvenient and too fatiguing. Now that she was at home the
management of the House Party had been turned over to her by tacit
consent, and she had laughingly accepted the trust.

"This was to be Dorothy's affair, but it's been more Mr. Winters's
than hers and now more mine than his. Well, I like it. I like it so
exceedingly that I propose to repeat the experiment some time. I love
young people; and am I not quite a young person myself?"

"Of course, you are, dear Aunt Betty! The youngest of us all in some
things, Mr. Seth says!"

"So the farrier has been talking, eh? Well, I want to talk a bit, too.
In a multitude of counselors there is wisdom--as we have the highest
authority to believe; and the case in question is: Shall we, or shall
we n