"Oh, she's living over there in the Windom house," said Mrs. Vick. "Sort of running the place," explained Mr. Brown, a trace of irony in his voice. "Well," put in Amos Vick, speaking for the first time in many minutes, "she's got a lot of sense, that girl has. She may be letting on that she's running the farm, but she ain't, you bet. That's where she's smart. She's got sense enough to know she don't know anything about running a farm, and while she puts on a lot of airs and acts kind of important like, the real truth is she leaves everything to old Jim Bagley. I guess you don't know who Jim Bagley is, do you, Courtney?" "I can't say that I do," replied the young man. "Well, he's about the slickest citizen you ever saw. From what father here says about your granddad, he must have been a purty hard customer to deal with, but, by ginger, if he was any worse than Jim Bagley in driving a bargain, I'm glad he died as long ago as he did." "You're just sore, Amos," said his wife, "because Mr. Bagley got the best of you in that hog deal three years ago." "Oh, Lord, ain't you ever going to get tired of throwin' that up to me?" groaned Mr. Vick. "I never mention Jim Bagley's name but what you up and say something about them hogs. Now, as a matter of fact, them hogs--" "For goodness sake, Pa, you're not going to tell Mr. Thane about that hog business, are you?" cried Rosabel. "Well, when your Ma begins to insinuate that I got the worst of--" "I don't say that you got the worst of it, Amos," interrupted Mrs. Vick good-humouredly. "I only say that he got the best of it." "Well, if that don't come to the same--" "Looks to me, Amos, like we'd get her good and plenty before mornin'," broke in Mr. White. He was referring to the weather. "That ain't all heat lightnin' over there. Seems to me I heard a little thunder just now." "Alix Crown is away a good part of the time, Courtney," said Mrs. Vick, taking up the thread where it had been severed by recrimination. "All through the war,--long before we went in,--she was up in town working for the Belgiums, and then, when we did go in, she went East some'eres to learn how to be a nurse or drive an ambulance or something,--New York, I believe. And as for money, she contributed quite a bit--how much do they say it was, Amos?" "Well, all I know is that Mary Simmons says she gave ten thousand dollars and Josie Fiddler says it was three hundred,--so you can choose between 'em." "She did her share, all right," said young Caleb defensively. "That's more'n a lot of people around here did." "Gale's in love with her, Mr. Thane," explained Rosabel. "She's five years older than he is, and don't know he's on earth." "Aw, cut that out," growled Caleb. "Is she good-looking?" inquired Courtney Thane. "I don't like 'em quite as tall as she is," said Mr. White. "She's got a good pair of legs," said old Caleb Brown, shifting his cigar with his tongue.