And the children sez, "Better anything, mother, than his celebration.

If he don't tear the house down over your head let him go on." (_Let him_! I guess I _had_ to let him.) Jabez come on with all his riggin'.

He'd borrowed tools of the hardware man at Zoar, another of Karen's cousins, and obtained the furnace and pipes on credit, I spozed.
I made all the preparations I could in case of disaster.

Took up the carpets in that part of the house, took down the curtains and moved the furniture, used all the precautions I could to escape with life and limb if possible, and insure the safety of my dear but misguided pardner, and then I sot down in the parlor bedroom, the furthest I could git without goin' upstairs, and let the tide of events sweep by me or sweep me away, and I didn't know which it would be.

I had to be downstairs anyway, for (though Philury helped), I had to stand with my hand on the hellum, so to speak, and see to everything.