This is the third time Thurl has gotten up an excitement, and it isn’t any more likely to happen this time than it was any of the others. I for one am glad there aren’t many more days before the worst is over.”

There were tears behind the challenging voice, and the mother and brother realized that it was going to be hard for Rilla to give up her home. She had always loved it here so, where she and her father used to roam around the grounds arm in arm in the summertime and watch the trees and flowers grow and visit their favorite bird’s nest and feed the pet squirrel. It brought a mist to all their eyes to think about leaving the dear home.

The mother got up at last, breaking the silence. There was a look of victory and peace in her face.

“If it is God’s will that those people should buy this house, they will!” she said decidedly. “Or, if it is His will that we should go through humiliation and have our house taken from us, then we must not murmur at that either. Now, let’s get these dishes out of the way, children, and then go to bed. We are all pretty well tired out, and we don’t know what tomorrow holds for us, so we had better get some sleep.”

Very quietly they all worked and, in a few minutes, had the kitchen immaculate. They had talked very little. Each one was realizing what it was going to mean to lose the house even in a respectable way.

“But, Mother,” said Rilla as she hung up the last dish towel and turned out the kitchen light, “what are we going to do? Even if we sell the house in the right way, where are we going? We can’t just make a bonfire out of our furniture and then go and park on the street.”

There was a panic in the girl’s voice. Things were looming large and sorrowful on her young horizon.

“There will be a place provided,” said the mother firmly. “I think perhaps I have an idea, but we won’t talk about it yet. We must first see what happens to this house. And tomorrow morning, Rilla, you and I have got to begin looking over things and packing away some of our belongings. When we go, we may have to go suddenly. That is, if we should happen to be ejected.”

“Mother!” said Rilla aghast. “Nobody could do that, could they?”

“Yes, I guess they could—that is, if they were mean enough. I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if that slick lawyer did it.”

“Oh, Mother! Why didn’t we let Thurlow go to Mr. Sherwood before he left? He would have saved the house for us. I’m sure he would.”

“Let?” said Thurlow sharply, appearing in the doorway. “Where did you get that word? Did you suppose you were keeping me from it? I certainly wouldn’t have gone to Mr. Sherwood, no matter if you all begged me to.”

“Of course not!” said the mother. “Rilla, you are overwrought. You don’t realize what you are saying.”

“I don’t see why it would have been so dreadful,” said the girl with troubled brow. “It would only have been borrowing a little money. We could have paid interest on it and paid it back pretty soon. Thurlow and I could get jobs and pay it back.”

“We haven’t got the jobs yet, sister, and no telling when we will. Forget it, Rill, and go get yourself a night’s sleep. ‘You’ll be sorry you worried at all tomorrow morning,’” he chanted merrily, and then went up the stairs whistling.

Trying to keep his courage up, thought the mother with a sigh as she followed slowly up the stairs.

But in his room at last, he whistled no more. Instead, he went and stood at the open window looking down into the stillness of the summer night, and his heart was heavy.