This room interested the girl very much.In it Joe was born and frail Mrs.Wegg and her silent husband had both passed away.It had two broad French windows with sash doorsopening on to a little porch of its own which was covered thickly with honeysuckle vines.A cupboard was built into a niche of the thick cobble—stone wall，but it was locked and the key was missing.
Upstairs the girl had the rubbish removed for the ？rst time in a generation.The corded bedstead in the north room was sent to join its fellows in the barn loft，and Ned Long swept everything clean in readiness for the scrubbers.
Then，while Widow Clark and Nora cleaned industriously—for the blind woman insisted on helping and did almost as much work as her companion—the "men folks"proceeded to the barn and under the school—teacher's directions uncrateda the new furniture and opened the bales of rugs and matting.Lon Taft was building new steps to the front porch，but Old Hucks and Ned and McNutt reverently unpacked the "truck"and set each piece carefully aside.How they marveled at the enameledb beds and colored wicker furniture，the easy chairs for lounging，the dainty dressers and all the innumerable pretty things discovered in boxes，bales and barrels，you may well imagine.Even Ethel was amazed and delighted at the thoughtfulness of the dealer in including everything that might be useful or ornamental in a summer home.
The next few days were indeed busy ones，for the girlentered enthusiastically upon her task to transform the old house，and with the material John Merrick had so amplyprovided she succeeded admirably.The little maid was country bred，but having seen glimpses of city life and possessing much native good taste，she arranged the rooms so charmingly that they would admit of scant improvement.The big living room must serve as a dining room as well as parlor；but so spacious was it that such an arrangement proved easy.No especial furniture for the living room had been provided，but by stealing a few chairs and odd pieces from the ample supply provided for the bedrooms，adding the two quaint sofas and the upright piano and spreading the rugs in an artistic fashion，Ethel managed to make the "parlor part"of the room appear very cosy.The dining corner had a round table and high—backed chairs ？nished in weathered oak，and when all was in order the effect was not inharmonious.Some inspiration had induced Mr.Merrick to send down a batch of eighteen framed pictures，procured at a bargain but from a reliable dealer.He thought they might "help out，"and Ethel knew they would，for the walls of the old house were quite bare of ornament.She made them go as far as possible，and Old Hucks，by this time thoroughly bewildered，hung them where she dictated and made laughable attempts to describe the subjects to blind Nora.
A telegram，telephoned over from the junction，announced the proposed arrival of the party on Thursday morning，and the school—teacher was sure that everything would be in readiness at that time.The paint on Lon's repairs would be dry，the grass in the front yard was closely cropped，and thelittle bed of ？owers between the corn—crib and the wood—shed was blooming finely.The cow was in the stable，the pigs in the shed，and the Plymouth Rocks strutted over the yard with an absurd assumption of pride.
Wednesday Ethel took Old Hucks over to Millville and bought for him from Sam Cotting a new suit of dark gray "store clothes，"together with shirts，shoes and underwear.She madeMcNutt pay the bill with John Merrick's money，agreeing toexplain the case to "the nabob"herself，and back up the agent in the unauthorized expenditure.Nora had a new gingham dress，too，which the girl had herself provided，and on Thursday morning Ethel was at the Wegg farm bright and early to see the old couple properly attireda to receive their new master.She also put a last touch to the pretty furniture and placed vases of her own roses and sweet peas here and there，to render the place homelike and to welcome the expected arrivals.
"If they don't like it，"said the girl，smiling，"they'rerather hard to please.""They're sure to like it，dear，"answered old Nora，touching with sensitive ？ngers the ？owers，the books and the opened piano."If they don't，they're heretics an'sinners，an'there's no good in 'em whatever."Then the little school—teacher bade good—bye to Hucks and his wife，told them to keep brave hearts，and rode her pony cross—lots to Thompson's Crossing.
