“She seems to have most of the men in Brookville doing for her,” Ellen had remarked coldly.

Then the girls had exchanged cautious glances.

“There’s something awfully funny about her coming here, anyway,” said Ellen.  “Everybody thinks it’s queer.”

“I expect she had a reason,” said Fanny, avoiding Ellen’s eyes.

After which brief interchange of opinion they had twined their arms about each other’s waists and squeezed wordless understanding and sympathy.  Henceforth, it was tacitly understood between the two girls that singly and collectively they did not “like” Lydia Orr.

Lydia understood without further explanation that she was not to look to her nearest neighbors for either friendship or the affection she so deeply craved.  Both Ellen and Fanny had passed the place every day since its restoration began; but not once had either betrayed the slightest interest or curiosity in what was going on beyond the barrier of the hedge.  To be sure, Fanny had once stopped to speak to her brother; but when Lydia had hurried hopefully out to greet her it was only to catch a glimpse of the girl’s back as she walked quickly away.

Jim Dodge had explained, with some awkwardness, that Fanny was in a hurry....

“Well, now, I’ll tell you, Miss Orr,” Mrs. Dix was saying, as all five women walked slowly toward the house.  “I was talking with Abby Daggett, and she was telling me about your wanting to get back the old furniture that used to be in the house.  It seems Henry Daggett has put up a notice in the post office; but so far, he says, not very many pieces have been heard from.  You know the men-folks generally go after the mail, and men are slow; there’s no denying that.  As like as not they haven’t even mentioned seeing the notice to the folks at home.”

“That’s so,” confirmed Mrs. Dodge, nodding her head.  “I don’t know as Jim would ever tell us anything that happened from morning till night.  We just have to pump things out of him; don’t we, Fanny?  He’d never tell without we did.  His father was just the same.”

Fanny looked annoyed, and Ellen squeezed her arm with an amused giggle.

“I didn’t know, mother, there was anything we wanted to know, particularly,” she said coldly.

“Well, you know both of us have been real interested in the work here,” protested Mrs. Dodge, wonderingly.  “I remember you was asking Jim only last night if Miss Orr was really going to—­”

“I hope you’ll like to see the house,” said Lydia, as if she had not heard; “of course, being here every day I don’t notice the changes as you might.”

“You aren’t living here yet, are you?” asked Mrs. Dix.  “I understood Mrs. Solomon Black to say you weren’t going to leave her for awhile yet.”

“No; I shall be there nights and Sundays till everything is finished here,” said Lydia.  “Mrs. Black makes me very comfortable.”

“Well, I think most of us ladies had ought to give you a vote of thanks on account of feeding the men-folks, noons,” put in Mrs. Dodge.  “It saves a lot of time not to have to look after a dinner-pail.”