Suddenly the giant, Rodney Barnes, jumped out of his chair and, embracing the wood-box, lifted it and the wood and me in his great arms and danced lightly around a group of the ladies with his burden and set it down in its place again very gently.

What a hero he became in my eyes after that! "If ye should go off some day an' come back an' find yer house missin' ye may know that Rodney Barnes has been here," said Uncle Hiram.

"A man as stout as Rodney is about as dangerous as a fire." Then what Falstaffian peals of laughter! In the midst of it Aunt Deel opened the front door and old Kate, the Silent Woman, entered.

To my surprise, she wore a decent-looking dress of gray homespun cloth and a white cloud looped over her head and ears and tied around her neck and a good pair of boots.
"Merry Chris'mas!" we all shouted.
She smiled and nodded her head and sat down in the chair which Uncle Peabody had placed for her at the stove side.

Aunt Deel took the cloud off her head while Kate drew her mittens--newly knitted of the best yarn.