She excused herself and the room for being in such a state; she said she was ashamed to be caught in such a looking dress, but they were not expecting company, and she did suppose 'Manda Grier would have given her time to put the room to rights a little. He could not understand why she said all this, for the whole room was clean, and Statira herself was beautifully dressed in the same dress that she had worn the night before, or one just like it; and after she had put up the window, 'Manda Grier said, “S'tira Dudley, do you want to kill yourself?” and ran and pulled aside the curtain in the corner, and took down the dolman from among other clothes that hung there, and threw it on Statira's shoulders, who looked as pretty as a pink in it. But she pretended to be too hot, and wanted to shrug it off, and 'Manda Grier called out, “Mr. Barker! _will_ you make her keep it on?” and Lemuel sat dumb and motionless, but filled through with a sweet pleasure. He tried several times to ask them if they had been robbed on the way home last night, as he had done in the scene he had dramatised; but he could not get out a word except that it had been pretty warm all day. Statira said, “I think it's been a very warm fall,” and 'Manda Grier said, “I think the summer's goin' to spend the winter with us,” and they all three laughed. “What speeches you do make, 'Manda Grier,” said Statira. “Well, anything better than Quaker meetin', _I_ say,” retorted 'Manda Grier; and then they were all three silent, and Lemuel thought of his clothes, and how fashionably both of the girls were dressed. “I guess,” said Statira, “it'll be a pretty sickly winter, if it keeps along this way. They say a green Christmas makes a fat graveyard.” “I guess you'll see the snow fly long before Christmas,” said 'Manda Grier, “or Thanksgiving either.” “I guess so too,” said Lemuel, though he did not like to seem to take sides against Statira. She laughed as if it were a good joke, and said, “'Tain't but about a fortnight now till Thanksgiving anyway.” “If it comes a good fall of snow before Thanksgivin', won't you come round and give us a sleigh-ride, Mr. Barker?” asked 'Manda Grier. They all laughed at her audacity, and Lemuel said, Yes, he would; and she said, “We'll give you a piece of real Willoughby Centre Mince-pie, if you will.” They all laughed again. “'Manda Grier!” said Statira, in protest. “Her folks sent her half a dozen last Thanksgivin',” persisted 'Manda Grier. “'_Manda!_” pleaded Statira. 'Manda Grier sprang up and got Lemuel a folding-chair. “You ain't a bit comfortable in that stiff old thing, Mr. Barker.” Lemuel declared that he was perfectly comfortable, but she would not be contented till he had changed, and then she said, “Why don't you look after your company, S'tira Dudley? I should think you'd be ashamed.”