subject of matrimony to any woman that he could ever
imagine himself marrying. He was therefore steadily drifting toward
the necessity of selling everything and going away. This event,
however, was like a coral reef to a sailor, with no land in view beyond
it. The only thing which seemed certain was the general breaking up of
all that had hitherto made his life.

The offer of help came from an unexpected source. One morning Holcroft
received a call from a neighbor who had never before shown any interest
in his affairs. On this occasion, however, Mr. Weeks began to display
so much solicitude that the farmer was not only surprised, but also a
little distrustful. Nothing in his previous knowledge of the man had
prepared the way for such very kindly intervention.

After some general references to the past, Mr. Weeks continued, "I've
been saying to our folks that it was too bad to let you worry on alone
without more neighborly help. You ought either to get married or have
some thoroughly respectable and well-known middle-aged woman keep house
for you. That would stop all talk, and there's been a heap of it, I
can tell you. Of course, I and my folks don't believe anything's been
wrong."

"Believing that something was wrong is about all the attention my
neighbors have given me, as far as I can see," Holcroft remarked
bitterly.

"Well, you see, Holcroft, you've kept yourself so inside your shell
that people don't know what to believe. Now, the thing to do is to
change all that. I know how hard it is for a man, placed as you be, to
get decent help. My wife was a-wondering about it the other day, and I
shut her up mighty sudden by saying, 'You're a good manager, and know
all the country side, yet how often you're a-complaining that you can't
get a girl that's worth her salt to help in haying and other busy times
when we have to board a lot of men.' Well, I won't beat around the bush
any more. I've come to act the part of a good neighbor. There's no
use of you're trying to get along with such haphazard help as you can
pick up here and in town. You want a respectable woman for
housekeeper, and then have a cheap, common sort of a girl to work under
her. Now, I know of just such a woman, and it's not unlikely she'd be
persuaded to take entire charge of your house and dairy. My wife's
cousin, Mrs. Mumpson--" At the mention of this name Holcroft gave a
slight start, feeling something like a cold chill run down his b