There were four or five tons of it, all of which we wanted to put into the barn before night, for, though the forenoon was bright and clear, we could hear distant rumblings; and there were other signs that foul weather was coming.

The old Squire sent Ellen over to summon Elder Witham to help us; if the rain held off until nightfall, we hoped to have the hay inside the barn.
At noon, while we were having luncheon, grandmother Ruth asked at what time we expected to have the last load ready to go in.
"Not before five o'clock," Asa replied.

"It has all to be raked yet." "Well, I shall be down there by that time," she said in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"I'll bring the girls with me." "Don't you think, Ruth, that perhaps you had better give it up this year ?" the old Squire said persuasively.
"But why ?" grandmother Ruth exclaimed, not at all pleased.
"Well, you know, Ruth, that neither of us is quite so young as we once were--" the old Squire began apologetically.
"Speak for yourself, Joseph, not for me!" she interrupted.

"I'm young enough to lay a load of hay yet!" "Yes, yes," the old Squire said soothingly, "I know you are, but the loads are rather high, and you know that you are getting quite heavy--" "Then I can tread down hay all the better!" grandmother Ruth cried, turning visibly pink with vexation.
"All right, all right, Ruth!" the old Squire said with a smile, prudently abandoning the argument.
Then Elder Witham put in his word.