Lemuel and Edgar had always had a room together, but now Bemis was to
have a cot there also. "And Joey, of course, is only a baby, his bed is
in our room, Joel's and mine. And Sarah-Mary and Aldora, they are same
as they have been."

"Yes, yes, but that doesn't explain the extra room, his sitting room.
Where does that come from?"

She hesitated a moment. "Well--well, you see," she said, "there wasn't
any other bedroom except the one George hires, and he is goin' to stay
for a while longer anyway. At first it didn't seem as if I could let Mr.
Phillips have the sittin' room he wanted. But at last Joel and I thought
it out. We don't use the front parlor hardly any, and there is the
regular sittin' room left for us anyway, so----"

"Sarah Kendrick Macomber, do you mean to tell me you've let this fellow
have your _front parlor_?"

"Why--why, yes. We don't hardly ever use it, Sears. I don't believe
we've used that parlor--really opened the blinds and used it, I
mean--since Father Macomber's funeral, and that was--let me see--over
six years ago."

Her brother slowly shook his head. "The judge was right," he declared.
"He certainly was right. Smoothness isn't any name for it."

"Sears, what are you talkin' about? I can't understand you. I thought
you would be glad to think such a splendid man as he is was goin' to
live with us. To say nothin' of my makin' all this extra money. Of
course, if you don't want me to do it, I won't. I wouldn't oppose you,
Sears, for anything in this world. But I--I must say----"

He laid his hand on hers. "There, Sarah," he broke in. "Don't pay too
much attention to me. I'm crochetty these days, have a good deal on my
mind. If you think takin' this Phillips man aboard is a good thing for
you, I'm glad. How much does he pay you a week?"

She told him. It was more than fair rate for those days.

"Humph!" he observed. "Well, Sarah, good luck to you. I hope you get
it."

"Get it! Why, of course I'll get it, Sears. Its all arranged. And I want
you and Mr. Phillips to know each other real well. I'm goin' to tell him
he must call again to see you."

"Eh?... Oh, all right, Sarah. You can tell him, if you want to."

After she had gone he thought the matter over. Surely Mr. Egbert
Phillips was a gentleman of ability along certain lines. His sister
Sarah was a sensible woman, she was far far from being a susceptible
sentimentalist. Yet she was already under the Phillips spell. Either
Judge Knowl