Alice, who had left home soon after her father's death and was now
employed as bookkeeper in a large dry goods store in Boston.

Ezekiel was about twenty-eight years of age, being seven years older
than his sister. He was a hardy, strong-willed, self-reliant young
fellow. He loved farming and had resolved to make a better living out of
it than his father had ever done. A strong incentive to win success
proceeded from the fact that he had long been in love with "Huldy Ann,"
the Deacon's daughter, and he had every reason to believe that his
affection was returned, although no formal engagement existed between
them, and marriage had never been spoken of by them or the young lady's
parents.

Uncle Ike Pettengill had been a successful business man in Boston, but
at the age of sixty had wearied of city life, and decided to spend the
rest of his days in the country. Despite the objections of his wife and
two grown up daughters, he sold out his business, conveyed two-thirds of
his property to his wife and children, and invested the remaining third
in an annuity, which gave him sufficient income for a comfortable
support. He did not live at the Pettengill house, but in a little
two-roomed cottage or cabin that he had had built for him on the lower
road, about halfway between Mason's Corner and Eastborough Centre. A
short distance beyond his little house, a crossroad, not very often
used, connected the upper and lower roads. Uncle Ike had a fair-sized
library, read magazines and weekly papers, but never looked at a daily
newspaper. His only companions were about two hundred hens and chickens
and a big St. Bernard dog which he had named "Swiss," after his native
land.

The other residents of the Pettengill homestead were two young men named