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 might have shown some surprise when he broke into her account of Polly's concern over Antoinette, the rabbit who lived in a box in the back yard, because Antoinette hadn't been eating well for several days, by asking suddenly:

"Mrs. Deane, is it straight about Miss Comfort having to go to the poor-farm?"

"Oh, dear, I'm afraid so." Mrs. Deane sighed. "Isn't it a pity? I—we did want to take her in here with us, Laurie, but I suppose we simply couldn't do it."

"Well, look; what about this brother of hers?"

"Brother? Why, she hasn't any—"

"Eh! Oh, brother-in-law, I meant; the fellow who married her sister out in Ohio."

"Iowa," Mrs. Deane corrected. "Why, I just don't know. When she got word from the lawyers that she must vacate the house she wrote to him, but she says he never took any notice of her letter."

"Didn't she write again? Maybe he didn't get it."

"Why, no, she didn't. She's sort of—well, I suppose you might say proud, but I'd almost call