Coming upon her as he rounded the corner at Main Street and Albion he managed a loud and joyous greeting. But Maxine had no answering shout. She took one look at his greasy coveralls, his blackened hands and face, then turned away. She did not speak as she passed. 2 At the iron sink in the Crandall kitchen Peter Brailsford labored to remove the dirt and grease so offensive to the eyes of Maxine Larabee. He scoured with violence, grimly pleased by the stinging of his outraged skin and the smart of the soap in his eyes. He scowled at himself in the broken mirror, scrubbed his ears until they burned, wiped the last trace of his recent shame on Temperance Crandall's roller towel and was running a comb through his wet curls when Early Ann burst radiantly through the kitchen door followed by the less impulsive Gus. "Early Ann! Gus!" cried the young fellow. "Peter! Peter!" cried the girl. "I've inherited a farm. We'll all go to the movies." "Not really?" said the astonished Peter as Early Ann danced him in mad circles about the kitchen. "Really," said Early Ann. "And it's been sold, and I've got the three hundred dollars above the mortgage." "Look out," cried the hired man. But his warning came too late. They had jarred the lamp from its shelf, and it fell with a crash scattering glass all over the kitchen floor. At this inopportune moment Temperance Crandall returned from shopping. She had been cheated two cents on eggs, sniggered at by the pool hall gang, and despite two trips the length of Main Street had not caught so much as a glimpse of Timothy Halleck. Now she discovered her kitchen strewn with glass. Early Ann had her hat over one eye, Peter's shirt tail was out, and Gus was studying the floor. "I didn't mean to," said Gus. "I was just hunting for some matches for my pipe." "Didn't mean to," mimicked Temperance. "Didn't mean to. Well you'd just better get busy and clean up that mess." "Yes, mam," said Gus, looking around for broom and dustpan. Early Ann giggled. Peter tucked in his shirt tail. Temperance Crandall whisked off shawl and bonnet, donned an apron, clattered the griddles and stoked the fire preparatory to getting supper. "You're Sarah's hired girl, ain't you?" she asked over her shoulder. "I'm Early Ann Sherman." "When your maw used to work for us...." Temperance began. Then catching a murderous look in the kitchen mirror she changed her tune. "Well now, you and Gus had better stay for supper," she said. "There's plenty for all." "No," said Early Ann. "We're eating at the Ritz Royal this evening. I've inherited a farm." She pulled her coat about her in an Anna Held gesture, adjusted her hat, tilted her lovely chin and started for the door. "Come along, Gus." "Oh, stay," said Peter. "A farm!" said Temperance. "Yes, a farm," said Gus, bent double with the dustpan and feeling surly.