Where's Jack?"
"Gone after some flour," replied his wife.
"On credit?" asked the cooper.
"No, he's got the money to pay for a few pounds," said Mrs. Crump,
smiling, with an air of mystery.
"Where did it come from?" asked Timothy, who was puzzled, as his
wife anticipated. "I didn't know you had any money in the house."
"No more we had, but he earned it himself, holding horses, this
afternoon."
"Come, that's good," said the cooper, cheerfully, "We ain't so bad
off as we might be, you see, Rachel."
The latter shook her head with the air of a martyr.
At this moment Jack returned, and the family sat down to supper.
"You haven't told us," said Mrs. Crump, seeing her husband's
cheerfulness in a measure restored, "what Mr. Blodgett said about
the chances for employment."
"Not much that was encouraging," answered Timothy. "He isn't at all
sure how soon it will be best to commence work; perhaps not before
spring."
"Didn't I tell you so?" commented Rachel, with sepulchral sadness.
Even Mr. Crump could not help looking sober.
"I suppose, Timothy, you haven't formed any plans," she said.
"No, I haven't had time. I must try to get something else to do."
"What, for instance?"
"Anything by which I can earn a little, I don't care if it's only
sawing wood. We shall have to get along as economically as we can;
cut our coat according to our cloth.
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