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“I suppose you’re right, Aunt Teh to worry about without that What with the roof and the price of everything going up except e get paid for sewing and our property taxes due next month I just don’t knohere to turn We’ll never be able to earn enough ”

“We’ll e”

“But the taxes are due at the end of next month,” Faith said

“What about the bank?” Mrs Everett asked “Have you tried to take money out of the bank? That’s what my dear late husband used to do”

Faith looked at Mrs Everett She hadn’t realized the others were listening so closely

“Agnes,” Aunt Virt scolded her sister-in-law, “you alere such a featherbrain Even I understand that in order to get money out of the bank, you must first put money in it, and that’s just e can’t do”

Faith rubbed at her tery voices

Couldn’t they see it did no good to argue?

The squabbling between Aunt Virt and her sisters-in-laas a constant source of irritation to Faith She needed help and guidance, not quarrels and accusations

“And why not?” Agnes Everett asked indignantly, “We can put all our sewing ether and open an account at the bank, then we tell the banker how much we need for the roof and the taxes and all, and we just draw it out”

“I wish it were that sih, “but it isn’t Our earnings froht dollars and thirty-two cents, and that includes Joy’s ten dollar gold piece The roof alone will cost more than that A banker would be out of his ht dollars and thirty-two cents”

“Can’t we use the house and land as collateral?” Aunt Te the faret the money to build the new barn and stables”

“We could try, Aunt Tempy, but I wouldn’t want to do that unless we had no other choice The carpetbaggers are eager to snatch up land, and if we can’t pay back the loan, we’ll lose the house and the land”

“If we don’t pay the taxes, we’ll lose the house and the land,” Aunt Tempy pointed out

“I know,” Faith said miserably “What we need is a miracle” Faith sat back down in her chair and picked up her sewing

“What we need,” Aunt Virt said bluntly, “is a man”

“A man?” Faith murmured, perplexed “Another mouth to feed?”

“No, a man A husband A provider Someone to shoulder the burden,” Aunt Virt elaborated “Soo about things A husband”

“For whom?” Aunt Tempy asked her know-it-all sister “There are five of us if we exclude Joy” She glanced to the settee where five-year-old Joy lay curled up sound asleep

“Well, of course, we must exclude Joy, she’s only five,” Hannah Colson replied reasonably “I wouldn’t ain Surely, one of us can find a husband”

“Within a month?” Mrs Everett was incredulous “That’s impossible”