But the two young girls were working very hard. The cooking was becoming a greater burden because of the makeshifts necessary at the open fire. And the washing of bed and table linen was a task that was becoming too heavy for them.
"If we had a couple of other good paying boarders," mused Lyddy, as she sat resting on the side porch, "we might afford to take somebody into the kitchen to help us. It would have to be somebody who would work cheap, of course; we could pay no fancy wages. But we need help."
As she thus ruminated she was startled by seeing a figure cross the field from behind the barn. It was not Cyrus Pritchett, although the farmer spent most of his Sabbaths wandering about the fields examining the crops. Corn had not yet been planted, anyway--not here on the Hillcrest Farm.
But this was a man fully as large as Cyrus Pritchett. As he drew nearer, Lyddy thought that he was a man she had never seen before.
He wore a broad-brimmed felt hat--of the kind affected by Western statesmen. His black hair--rather oily-looking it was, like an Indian's--flowed to the collar of his coat.
That coat was a frock, but it was unbuttoned, displaying a pearl gray vest and trousers of the same shade. He even wore gray spats over his shoes and was altogether more elaborately dressed than any native Lyddy had heretofore seen.
He came across the yard at a swinging stride, and took off his hat with a flourish. She saw then that his countenance was deeply tanned, that he had a large nose, thick, smoothly-shaven lips, and heavy-lidded eyes.
"Miss Bray, I have no doubt?" he began, recovering from his bow.
Lyddy had risen rather quickly, and only nodded. She scarcely knew what to make of this stranger--and she was alone.
"Pray sit down again," he urged, with a wave of his hand. "And allow me to sit here at your feet. It is a lovely day--but warm."
"It is, indeed," admitted Lyddy, faintly.
"You have a beautiful view of the valley here."
"I am told below," said the man, with a free gesture taking in Bridleburg and several square miles of surrounding country, "that you take boarders here at Hillcrest?"
"Good! Your rooms are not yet all engaged, my dear young lady?" said the man, who seemed unable to discuss the simplest subject without using what later she learned to call "his platform manner."