Abner rose to his feet, pulled out his pipe, and started to fill it.
"Say, Zeb," he presently began, "I wish ye'd give me a hand this mornin'."
"What is it ye want?"
"Help me to fix up me woodshed, will ye? We've had a big surprise at our house."
"Should say ye had. Twins one night an' triplets the next day. Rapid increase, that. How's the missus?"
Abner struck a match and paid no attention to this sally.
"Yes, we've had a big surprise," he continued. "A team came from town last night with a hull load of cots, mattresses, boxes of clothin' an' dear knows what all."
"Ye don't tell!" Zeb was much interested now. "Where did they come from?"
"Guess it's some of Belle's doin's. She's written to her pa an' some friends, if I'm not mistaken, tellin' 'em about the kids we've taken under our roof, an' they sent the things. Why, the dooryard is filled chock-a-block."
"Where are ye goin' to put 'em, Abner?"