good years. An' that contract ain't to be busted so easy."

"Now, Father!" admonished Mrs. Pritchett; but the old man glared at her, and she at once subsided.

Cyrus Pritchett certainly was a masterful man in his own household. Lucas dropped his gaze to his plate, and his face flamed again. But Sairy turned actually pale.

Somehow the cross old man did not make Lyddy Bray tremble. She only felt angry that he should be such a bully in his own home.

"Suppose you read Aunt Jane's letter, Mr. Pritchett," she said, taking it from her handbag and laying it before the farmer.

The old man grunted and slit the flap of the envelope with his greasy table knife. He drew his brows down into an even deeper scowl as he read.

"So she turns her part of the contract over to you two chits of gals; does she?" said Mr. Pritchett, at last. "Humph! I don't think much of that, now I tell ye."

"Mr. Pritchett," said Lyddy, firmly, "if you don't care to work the farm for us on half shares, as you have heretofore with Aunt Jane, pray say so. I assure you we will not be offended."

"And what'll you do then?" he growled.

"If you refuse to put in a crop for us?"

"Ya-as."

"Get some other neighboring farmer to do so," replied Lyddy, promptly.

"Oh, you will, eh?" growled Cyrus Pritchett, sitting forward and resting his big hands on his knees, while he glared like an angry dog at the slight girl before him.

The kitchen was quite still save for his booming voice. The family was evidently afraid of the old man's outbursts of temper.

But Lyddy Bray's courage rose with her indignation. This cross old farmer was a mere bully after all, and there was never a bully yet who was not a moral coward!

"Mr. Pritchett," she told him, calmly, "you cannot frighten me by shouting at me. I may as well tell 

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