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Aunt Josephina didn’t. She was very philosophical about it when Sara explained that Cousin Caroline had the spare room, and the blue north room was all they had left. “Oh, it will be all right,” she said, plainly determined to make the best of things. “Those old things are thought a lot of now, anyhow. I can’t say I fancy them much myself–I like something a little brighter. But the rich folks have gone cracked over them. I know a woman in Boston that’s got her whole house furnished with old truck, and as soon as she hears of any old furniture anywhere she’s not contented till she’s got it. She says it’s her hobby, and she spends a heap on it. She’d be in raptures if she saw this old room of yours, Sary.”

“Do you mean,” said Sara slowly, “that there are people who would buy old things like these?”

“Yes, and pay more for them than would buy a real nice set with a marble-topped burey. You may well say there’s lots of fools in the world, Sary.” Sara was not saying or thinking any such thing. It was a new idea to her that any value was attached to old furniture, for Sara lived very much out of the world of fads and collectors. But she did not forget what Aunt Josephina had said.

The winter passed away. Aunt Josephina plainly enjoyed her visit, whatever the Sheldons felt about it. In March her son returned, and Aunt Josephina went home to him. Before she left, Sara asked her for the address of the woman whose hobby was old furniture, and the very afternoon after Aunt Josephina had gone Sara wrote and mailed a letter. For a week she looked so mysterious that Willard and Ray could not guess what she was plotting. At the end of that time Mrs. Stanton came.

Mrs. Stanton always declared afterwards that the mere sight of that blue north room gave her raptures. Such a find! Such a discovery! A bedstead with carved posts, a claw-footed table, real old willow-ware plates with the birds’ bills meeting! Here was luck, if you like!

When Willard and Ray came home to tea Sara was sitting on the stairs counting her wealth.

“Sally, where did you discover all that long-lost treasure?” demanded Ray.

“Mrs. Stanton of Boston was here today,” said Sara, enjoying the moment of revelation hugely. “She makes a hobby of collecting old furniture. I sold her every blessed thing in the blue north room except Mother’s carpet and Grandma’s mats and sampler. She wanted those too, but I couldn’t part with them. She bought everything else and,” Sara lifted her hands, full of bills, dramatically, “here are two hundred and fifty dollars to take you to the Valley Academy next fall, Ray.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to take it for that,” said Ray, flushing. “You and Will–” “Will and I say you must take it,” said Sara. “Don’t we, Will? There is nothing we want so much as to give you a college start. It is an enormous burden off my mind to think it is so nicely provided for. Besides, most of those old things were yours by the right of rediscovery, and you voted first of all to have Aunt Josephina come.”

“You must take it, of course, Ray,” said Willard. “Nothing else would give Sara and me so much pleasure. A blessing on Aunt Josephina.”

“Amen,” said Sara and Ray.