roars of sidesplitting laughter, while fourteen purses and pocket-books
made the breakfast table look like a fancy fair.

"I thought I heard a crackling of thorns, as scripter says," she
growled. "Be you a-going to set up a fancy store, Mis' White?"

"Bring in breakfast, Hannah," said the doctor, recovering himself.
"It's a melancholy truth that we can't eat pocket-books!"

For the satisfaction of the curious I must explain that the next May,
when a certain old clock on the landing of the garret stairs was taken
down to be put in order and made into a household god after the modern
rage for such things, right under it lay Grandma's pocket-book intact.

"Well, now I remember!" said the astonished old lady, who never did
remember where she had hidden anything till somebody else found it.

"I was goin' up to the chest to get out those things of husband's for
Sally Slack, and I thought I wouldn't leave my pocket-book in my room,
'twould be putting temptation in her way, which isn't really right if
a person is ever so honest; we're all frail as you may say when our
time comes, and I didn't have my cloak on to put it in the pocket, and
my under pocket was full, so I just slipped it under the clock case as
I went up, feeling certain sure I should remember it because I never
put it there before."

But the family voted that no harm had been done after all, for next
Christmas the Rutledge girls each had a lovely silk party dress from
the double fund; Gracie's cloak was mated by the prettiest hat and
muff; Tom had his wild desire for a bicycle fulfilled; Harry owned a