But the girl was brought to bay one day in this wise. Manasseh
had ridden forth on some business, which every one said would
occupy him the whole day; but, meeting the man with whom he had to
transact his affairs, he returned earlier than any one expected. He
missed Lois from the keeping-room where his sisters were spinning,
almost immediately. His mother sat by at her knitting — he could
see Nattee in the kitchen through the open door. He was too
reserved to ask where Lois was, but he quietly sought till he found
her — in the great loft, already piled with winter stores of fruit
and vegetables. Her aunt had sent her there to examine the apples
one by one, and pick out such as were unsound, for immediate use.
She was stooping down, and intent upon this work, and was hardly
awar
