Dorothy at Skyrie

as she saw what had happened her alarm increased, for it seemed impossible that a he

d here only to be killed. The next instant she was helping the girls to free themselves from the tangle of w

o speak if you love me!" cried poor

s and no sign of life about him. There was a bruise upon his forehead where he had struck against a roc

im! I've killed my

! How could you-" began Mrs. Chester; yet got no further in her up-bra

to consciousness, and his beclouded senses rapidly became normal. It had been a great shock but, more fortunately than his frightened wife at first dar

ver go without them. Good thing I brought them-No, thank you! Walking

had sustained an ugly rent. It had been a very expensive purchase for the donors and an ill-advised one. A lighter, cheaper chair would have been far more serviceab

ore clumsy-nor dangerous!" he declared, trying to swing himself forward from t

!" wailed mother Martha, weeping and unnerved f

's all heave-heave away! for that pleasant shore of a wide lounge

t brung him to quicker'n scat. So I remembered and I'm real sorry now," explained Alfaretta, more abashed than ordinarily: and in her own heart feeling that the guilt of

y very own!" interpo

membering.' As for you, Dolly darling, let me see another tear in your eye and I will 'scold' in earnest. Now, Martha, wife, I'll give it up. I'm rather shaky on my pins yet and the ch

ot a whit the worse for his tumble, and as they helped him to be seated and began to push him up

herto shunned on account of its ghostly reputation, but was eager to visit now in company with these owner

etter shape. I don't want to hear any more of that nonsense, nor to have you, Dorothy, go searching for the place. Our first trip to hunt for gold has been a les

er daughter to herself, and to discuss with her not only the happenings of the past but plans for the future. Besides this desire, she also saw, at l

and clearing away as she had done at breakfast time; also, she and her sisters brought to it a

h bits of stones, to stock it with broken crockery and holly-hock dolls, and to e

hy Chester. I'm comin' e

young hostess. "I will have to work a great deal to

ed Claretta. "Me like playhouth futh

absorbed in it that they ceased to find her interesting and wandered off by themselves to rummage in t

Barnaby Rudge she had wandered far in spirit from that mountain farm and the disgruntled Babcocks. Curled up on the

iry." Until now, since her coming to Skyrie, the housemistress had occupied herself only in getting the upper rooms cleaned and furnished with such of her belongings as she had brought

time of their uncertainty concerning her; and afterward, when news of her safety and ea

eds in it; the farm rescued from its neglected condition and made a well-paying one, that Dorothy might be ed

e; and, unfortunately, as

work yourself, you can't till you get well. 'Twould only hinder your doing so if you tried. We'll have to hire a man to work the ground for us and clear it of weeds. If we

, even during all their time of doubt concerning their adopted child, Martha had been gentleness and hopefulness indeed. She had seemed to assume his nature and h

'll have to beg the superfluous dollars of other people," he had answe

he highroad toward trouble-borro

ame and never told me. Besides the man, we must have a horse, or two of them. Maybe mules would come cheaper, if they have 'em around here. We'll have to g

digging extra hard in our pretty yard. And don't forget, in your financial reckonings, to leave us a few cents to buy roses with. I've been thinking how well some climbing 'Clothilde Souperts' would look, trai

d Dorothy get your heads together over one those books you want all that's in it, from cover to cover. There's thing

the best of wives, but there were some things in which she faile

u can remember so much about farming, when yo

ly broke my fingers in two, at first. I wonder if I can milk now! I'll have to try, anyway, soon as we get the cow. I guess you'd better write an advertisement for the Local News, and I'll go to Mrs. Calvert's place and

be right. So he hobbled across to his own old desk which Martha had placed in the ch

nd or first-class? I never lived on a farm, you know, and enjoyed your advantages of knowledge: and, by the wa

m in pens. Even an ex-postman ought to know enough for that. And m

y is the soul of wi

Mr. Chester soon evolved

Pig. Cow. Ho

k for his wife to read, then hobbled back to his bed to sleep away the time till Dorothy came, if he could thus calm his happy excitement. But

he point of starting for his mistress at the Landing: and the result of its prompt appearance in the

llar-dairy, poking into things, explaining the probable u

urn. That's the treadmill 'Hendrick Hudson'-that was the dog's name-had to walk on. Step, step, step! an' never get through! Ma says 'twas no wonder the creatur' 'd run away an' hide in the woods soon's churnin' days come round. He knew when Tuesday an' Fr

rrel-churn upon its side was more than

ole of dirt and rubbish is under it. That old dog-churn must come down first thing. I've a notion to take that rusty ax yonder a

ore Mrs. Chester could turn around, the girl had caught up the ax and with one vigorous blow from her strong a

bcocks, and sent Dorothy to her feet, in frightened bewilderment. For there before her, in t