"A 'shiny thing'," repeated Moya, who was putting the room in order and heard the Russian woman's inquiries. "'Tis two of 'em I found mesilf on the floor when I cleared up the mess from the fireplace this morning. 'Twas two bits of brass. See, I saved 'em," and she shook from a scooped-out gourd which served as an ornament on the mantel two bits of metal.
"Was it like these, Vladdy?" she asked, but Vladimir was too tired of being questioned and ran away without answering.
His mother shook her head as she gazed at the bits lying on her palm.
"Not worth all these moneys," she murmured as she counted forty cents in the small coins in her other hand. It was a mystery.
Moya put the bits of brass back into the gourd and went on with her dusting.
Mrs. Schuler telephoned to Mr. Emerson early in the morning, telling him of the damage to the house and asking him to come and see what had happened go that the bricklayers might be set to work as soon as possible.
"I'm afraid to let Moya light the kitchen stove until I'm sure the chimney is sound," she explained.
Mr. Emerson telephoned the news to his grandchildren and he and all the Mortons with Dorothy and her mother and Miss Merriam and Elisabeth arrived at the farm at almost the same time.
"I'm glad the house is in as good condition as it seems to be," exclaimed Mrs. Morton. "I couldn't bear to have the old homestead fall to ruin. I was startled at Father's message."
"Not so startled as all the people here were in the night," laughed her father who had been talking with Mrs. Schuler. "It seems that the worst noise came after the electric storm was over, but while the wind was at its highest."