tribulation I'll be the thankfullest woman that you ever seen.
It's a bargain. Don't you pay me a cent for this coming week.
And I shouldn't have taken it, anyway, when you're throwed out of
work so. That's a mighty mean man, that Daniel Dwight.

"You go right ahead and look that farm over. If it looks good,
you come back and we'll strike a bargain, I know. And--and--
Just to think of getting rid of this house and these boarders!"
and Mrs. Atterson finished by wiping her eyes again vigorously.



CHAPTER VII

HOW HIRAM LEFT TOWN

Hiram Strong was up betimes on Monday morning--Sister saw to
that. She rapped on his door at four-thirty.

Sometimes Hiram wondered when the girl ever slept. She was
still dragging about the kitchen or dining-room when he went to
bed, and she was first down in the morning--even earlier than
Mrs. Atterson herself.

The boarding house mistress was not intentionally severe with
Sister; but the much harassed lady had never learned to make
her own work easy, so how should she be expected to be easy on
Sister?

Once or twice Hiram had talked with the orphan. Sister had