By nightfall the place began to look quite habitable. Pedro and his men had worked with a will, Christine’s tears and Alison’s smiles having been strong factors in urging on their efforts. As dusk approached the wagoners retired, old Pedro alone remaining indoors. The cows came lowing home, the chickens gathered about the hen-house; it was the hour which most strongly carried back the thoughts of the girls to the home they had so lately left. Even Louisa gave a little sigh and said: “That red cow reminds me of Mis’ Brown’s Cherry. I wonder how they’re gittin’ along.”
“I think I should like to feed the chickens myself,” said Alison. “It seems kind of homelike to have something like that to do.”
“And I reckon I may as well do the milking; it will get my hand in,” returned Louisa.
But Pedro had forestalled her in this occupation and was bringing in the brimming buckets as she went into the kitchen. Alison, however, went out and made friends with the chickens and stopped to speak to Steve’s horse which was safe in the stable. Here, to her surprise, she found Christine who had stolen out to comfort herself with ministering to the one thing which was very near and dear to Stephen. Hero had responded cordially to her advancements and was rubbing his handsome head against the girl’s shoulder and nickering softly, as she fed him with apples and talked to him caressingly. Alison backed out of the stable without being observed by her sister and hurried back to the house to help Louisa with the supper.
The men, bivouacked a little distance away, near the wagons, were feasting on the viands with which they had been generously supplied, and were making merry. The girls had not stopped to prepare a meal earlier in the day, but now Alison insisted that they should make a feast in the new home, for, tired though she was, she told Louisa that when the men returned they would probably be more tired still. “And nothing rests one like a good meal,” she remarked.
Louisa was in her element. She had already stowed away the stores, and though books occupied one half the potato bin and fine china stood side by side with wooden platters, she knew where everything was and was ready to produce any article asked for. Soon the fragrance of coffee filled the big room and from the kitchen came the sound of sizzling ham and the odor of browning biscuits. “Just you set still and rest,” said Louisa to the others. “I came here to earn my keep and I mean to do it. You two ain’t used to running your legs off, and you’re all tuckered out while I’m as fresh as a lark. I ain’t lived with Mis’ Brown all these years without getting pretty strong in the muscles. I reckon I’d better cook a-plenty, for there’s no telling when them men will be coming along and they’ll be mortal hungry.”
Such a cheerful possibility had a good effect upon Christine, and as for Alison she would hear nothing but that the entire company, Steve included, would be with them before the meal was ready. “I shall set the table for eight,” she said, “and I mean to put on all our best dishes and things, for this is our house-warming.” Pedro had started a fire in the big fireplace, for the October night was chill, and so industrious had all been that the room presented a very cozy and lived-in appearance. Christine, who had taken her place at the window, was anxiously peering out into the gathering gloom. Presently she started and called out: “Alison, Alison, come here.” Her sister obeyed the summons. “What is that over there?” said Christine eagerly. “Does it seem to you that some one is coming? or is it only the waving branches of a tree? I have looked so long I cannot tell. See if you can make it out.”
Alison bent her eyes in the direction her sister indicated. “It is—one—two—three—— Oh, Christine, they are coming.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am sure.”