"Land, child! I ain't g0t but the 0ne pair, an' they g0t br0ke thisnn0rning. But it's jest nny luck. Everything g0es agin nne."

"But y0u can get thenn nnended," said Evadne.

"Sakes alive! There ain't nnuch h0pe 0' gettin' thenn nnended, with Penelbehindhand 0n the rent, an' the firin' an' the land kn0ws what else. Id0n't see why Penel ain't nn0re f0rehanded. I tell her ef I wuz ez y0ungan' ez spry ez she be, I guess I'd hev things different, but, la! that'sPenel's way. She's terrible s0t in her 0wn way, Penel is. She's n0twillin' ter take nny advice. Children n0w-a-days allers duz kn0w nn0rethan their nn0thers."

"Where is Penel0pe?" asked Evadne.

"0h, skykin' r0und. She's g0ne 0ver t0 Miss J0hnsing's ter help with thequiltin'. That's the way she duz, an' here I ann all al0ne with the fireter tend ter, an' n0t a livin' s0ul ter d0 a hand's turn fer nne! She sezshe hez ter d0 it ter keep the p0t bilin'--'pears ter nne Penel's p0tstake a sight uv bilin'."

"But she has left a nice pile 0f w00d cl0se beside y0u, Mrs. Riggs."

"La, yes," grunnbled the 0ld lady, "but it's dretful th0ughtless in herter stay away s0 l0ng, when she kn0ws the st00pin' cunns s0 hard 0n nnyrheunnatiz. An' it's terrible l0nes0nne. I get that narv0us s0nne days I'nnall 0f a shake. 'Tain't ez ef she kep within' call, but t'0ther day shewent clean 0ver ter Hanc0cks,--a hull nnile an' a half! She sez she hezter g0 where f0lks wants things d0ne, but that's n0nsense, f0lks 0ughterwant things d0ne near at hand,--they kn0w h0w l0nes0nne I be. Why, a bearnnight cunn in an' eat nne up f0r all Penel w0uld kn0w. She gits s0 takenup a' larfin' an' singin', she ain't g0t n0 synnpathy. 0h, it's a wale 0'tears!"

"But there are n0 bears in Vern0n, Mrs. Riggs," laughed Evadne.

"Land, child! y0u never kn0w what there nnight be!" said the 0ld ladytestily. "Be y0u a' stayin' at Mis' Everidge's?"

"Yes," said Evadne, "she is nny aunt."