was forced to abandon her position, though even then with conditions
of her surrender to Nature. She caused the nests to be well soaked
with disinfectants.

The Jamesons shut the house up the last of October and went back to
the city, and I think most of us were sorry. I was, and Louisa said
that she missed them.

Mrs. Jameson had not been what we call neighborly through the summer,
when she lived in the next house. Indeed, I think she never went into
any of the village houses in quite a friendly and equal way, as we
visit one another. Generally she came either with a view toward
improving us--on an errand of mercy as it were, which some
resented--or else upon some matter of business. Still we had, after
all, a kindly feeling for her, and especially for Grandma Cobb and
the girls, and the little meek boy. Grandma Cobb had certainly
visited us, and none of us were clever enough to find out whether it
was with a patronizing spirit or not. The extreme freedom which she
took with our houses, almost seeming to consider them as her own,
living in them some days from dawn till late at night, might have
indicated either patronage or the utmost democracy. We missed her
auburn-wigged head appearing in our doorways at all hours, and there
was a feeling all over the village as if company had gone home.

I missed Harriet more than any of them. During the last of the time
she had stolen in to see me quite frequently when she was released
from her mother's guardianship for a minute. None of our village
girls were kept as close as the Jamesons. Louisa and I used to wonder
whether Mrs. Jameson kept any closer ward because of Harry Liscom. He
certainly never went to the Jameson house. We knew that either Mrs.