"Going to fix it all over," remarked Dab.
"Yes," replied his mother; "it'll be as good as new. It was well built, and will bear mending."
When they entered the house, it became more [Page 558] and more evident that the "shabby" days of the Morris mansion were numbered. There were men at work in almost every room.
Ham's wedding trip would surely give plenty of time, at that rate, and his house would be "all ready for him" on his return.
There was nothing wonderful to Dabney in the fact that his mother went about inspecting work and giving directions. He had never seen her do anything else, and he had the greatest confidence in her knowledge and ability.
Dabney noticed, too, before they left the place, that all the customary farm-work was going ahead with even more regularity and energy than if the owner himself had been present.
"Ham's farm'll look like ours, one of these days, at this rate," he said to his mother.
"I mean it shall," she replied, somewhat sharply. "Now go and get out the ponies, and we'll do the rest of our errands."
If they had only known it, at that very moment Ham and his blooming bride were setting out for a drive at the fashionable watering-place where they had made the first stop in their wedding tour.
"Ham?" said Miranda, "it seems to me as if we were a thousand miles from home."