"Cousin Ann has left off her wig and her hoop skirts, too," said Jeff, "and old Billy has trimmed his beard, and, what is more, both of them were busy helping--Cousin Ann setting the table and Uncle Billy bringing in wood and mending the fire." "Did Judith Buck make them do it," asked Mildred. "She was a great boss at school." "That I don't know, but they seemed very happy in being able to help. Mrs. Buck told me she was glad to have a visitor. Her daughter is away so much and she gets lonely. Old Uncle Billy is established in a cabin behind the house--" "The one old Dick Buck lived in," interrupted Big Josh. "And the old man told me he was planning to do the fall ploughing with Cupid and Puck. He says they have plenty of pull left in them and my private opinion is that Cousin Ann's old coach will not stand another trip." "See here," spoke Little Josh, who was the practical member of the family, "this is all very well, but we Bucknors can't sit back and let this little Judy Buck support our old cousin. The girl works night and day for a living and to try to pull the farm her Grandfather Knight left her and her mother back into some kind of fertility. Old Billy and Cousin Ann may set the table and make the fires, but that isn't bringing any money into the business. We've got to reimburse the girl somehow." "She wouldn't stand for it," said Jeff. "She is as proud as can be to be able to have Cousin Ann visit her." "Well, then we'll have to find a way that won't hurt her pride. Let's send things to Cousin Ann. It will please the old lady and at the same time help on our Cousin Judith." "What kind of things?" asked Mr. Bob Bucknor, who had been singularly quiet and thoughtful ever since his mind was relieved as to his cousin's not being lost. "The kind of things neighbors and kinsmen do for one another in our state and all other states where neighbors are neighborly and where blood is thicker than water, and blue blood thicker than any other kind," exclaimed Big Josh. "When you kill mutton don't you send me a quarter? Well, send one to the Bucks instead. When your potato crop was a failure owing to the bugs getting ahead of you, didn't I share with you? Well, let me share with this girl. When I harvest, aren't all the relations ready to send hands to help if I need help? Who ever helped Judith Buck? "I bet your smokehouse is full and running over this minute. I know mine is. Well, let them run over in the right channel. We can't do enough for this young cousin. Gee, man, just to think of our being spared the humiliation of having to go to Cousin Ann and, tell her that we couldn't look after her any longer! I break out in a cold sweat whenever I think of how near we came to it.