Theymetatthepostoffice——Phineashadnotvisitedthewindmill，shopsincethedaywhenhereceivedthetelegramnotifyinghimof，hisson’senlistment——andsomeoneofthegroupwaitingforthe，mailhadhappenedtospeakofCharliePhillips。”He’sanice，obligin’youngchap，“saidthespeaker，CaptainJeremiahBurgess。
　　“Ilikehimfust-rate;everybodydoes，Iguess。”
　　Mr。Babbitt，standingapartfromthegroup，hisbristlingchin，beardmovingashechewedhiseleveno’clockallowanceof“Sailor’s，Sweetheart，“turnedandsnarledoverhisshoulder。
　　“Idon’t，“hesnapped。
　　HistonewassosharpandhisutterancesounexpectedthatCaptain，Jerryjumped。
　　“LandofGoshen！，Youbarklikeadogwithasorethroat，“he，exclaimed。”Whydon’tyoulikehim？”
　　“’CauseIdon’t，that’sall。”
　　“Thatain’tmuchofareason，seemstome。Whathaveyougot，againsthim，Phin？，Youdon’tknowanythingtohisdiscredit，do，you？”
　　“NeveryoumindwhetherIdoornot。”
　　CaptainJerrygruntedbutseemeddisinclinedtopressthepoint，further。EveryonewassurprisedthereforewhenJedWinslowmoved，acrosstowherePhineaswasstanding，andlookingmildlydownat，thelittleman，asked：“Doyouknowanythingagainsthim，Phin？”
　　“Noneofyourbusiness。Whatareyoubuttin’infor，Shavin’s？”
　　“Iain’t。Ijustaskedyou，that’sall。DOyouknowanything，againstCharliePhillips？”
　　“Noneofyourbusiness，Itellyou。”
　　“Iknowitain’t。Butdoyou，Phin？”
　　Eachrepetitionofthequestionhadbeenmadeinthesamemild，monotonousdrawl。CaptainJerryandtheotherloungersburstinto，alaugh。Mr。Babbitt’salwayssimmeringtemperboiledover。
　　“No，Idon’t，“heshouted。”ButIdon’tknowanythinginhis，favor，neither。He’sapetofSamHunniwellandthat’senoughfor，me。SamHunniwellandeveryoneofhischumscangotothedevil。
　　Everyoneof’em;doyouunderstandthat，JedWinslow？”
　　Jedrubbedhischin。Thesolemnexpressionofhisfacedidnot，changeanatom。”Thankyou，Phin，“hedrawled。”WhenI’mreadyto，startI’llgetyoutogivemealetterofintroduction。”
　　Jedhadbeenfearfulthatherbrother’scomingmightlessenthe，intimatequalityofRuthArmstrong’sfriendshipwithanddependence，uponhim。Hesoondiscovered，tohisdelight，thatthesefears，weregroundless。HefoundthattheveryfactthatRuthhadmade，himhersoleconfidantprovidedacommonbondwhichbroughtthem，closertogether。Ruth’sprideinherbrother’ssuccessatthebank，andintheencomiumsofthetownsfolkhadtofindexpression，somewhere。Shecouldexpressthemtoherlandlordandshedid。
　　Almosteverydayshedroppedinatthewindmillshopforamoment’s，callandchat，thesubjectofthatchatalways，ofcourse，the，same。
　　“Itoldyouhewouldsucceed，“shedeclared，hereyesshiningand，herfacealight。”Itoldyouso，Jed。Andhehas。Mr。Barber，thecashier，toldmeyesterdaythatCharleswasthebestmanthey，hadhadinthebankforyears。AndeverytimeImeetCaptain，Hunniwellhestopstoshakehandsandcongratulatesmeonhaving，suchabrother。Andtheylikehim，notonlybecauseheis，successfulinthebank，butforhimself;somanypeoplehavetold，meso。Why，forthefirsttimesincewecametoOrhamIbeginto，feelasifIwerebecomingacquainted，makingfriends。”
　　Jednodded。”He’saniceyoungchap，“hesaid，quietly。
　　“Ofcourseheis……Youmustn’tmindmyshamelessfamily，boasting，“sheadded，withalittlelaugh。”ItisonlybecauseI
　　amsoproudofhim，andsoglad——sogladforusall。”
　　Jeddidnotmind。Itisdoubtfulifatthatmomenthewasawareof，whatshewassaying。Hewasthinkinghowherbrother’scominghad，improvedher，howwellshewaslooking，howmuchmorecolorthere，wasinhercheeks，andhowgooditwastohearherlaughoncemore。
　　Thewindmillshopwasadifferentplacewhenshecame。Itwasa，luckydayforhimwhenthePowlessesfrightenedhimintoletting，Barbaraandhermothermoveintotheoldhouseforamonth’strial。
　　Ofcoursehedidnotexpressthesethoughtsaloud，infacthe，expressednothingwhatever。Hethoughtandthoughtand，aftera，time，graduallybecameawarethattherewasabsolutesilenceinthe，shop。Helookedathiscallerandfoundthatshewasregardinghim，intently，atwinkleinhereyeandanamusedexpressionabouther，mouth。Hestartedandawokefromhisday-dream。
　　“Eh？”heexclaimed。”Yes——yes，Iguessso。”
　　Sheshookherhead。
　　“Youdo？”shesaid。”Why，Ithoughtyouropinionwasexactlythe，opposite。”
　　“Eh？，Oh，yes，so’tis，so’tis。”
　　“Ofcourse。Andjustwhatdidyousayaboutit？”
　　Jedwasconfused。Heswallowedhard，hesitated，swallowedagain，andstammered：“I——，Why，I——thatis——yousee——“
　　Shelaughedmerrily。”Youareaverypoorpretender，Jed，“she，declared。”Confess，youhaven’ttheleastideawhatopinionI
　　mean。”
　　“Well——well，toberightdownhonest，I——Idon’tknow’sIhave，Mrs。Ruth。”
　　“Ofcourse，youhaven’t。Thereisn’tanyopinion。Youhavebeen，sittingthereforthelastfiveminutes，staringstraightatmeand，pickingthatpaintbrushtopieces。IdoubtifyouevenknewIwas，here。”
　　“Eh？，Oh，yes，Iknowthat，Iknowthatallright。Tut！tut！”
　　inspectingthedamagedbrush。”That’sanicemess，ain’tit？，Now，whatdoyousupposeIdidthatfor？，I’mscaredtodeath，whenI
　　haveoneofthosego-to-sleepticfits，thatI’llpickmyheadto，pieces。Notthatthatwouldbeasbigalossasagoodpaint，brush，“headded，reflectively。
　　Hisvisitorsmiled。”Ithinkitwould，“shesaid。”NeitherBabbie，norIcouldaffordtolosethathead;itanditsownerhavebeen，toothoughtfulandkind。Buttellme，whatWEREyouthinkingabout，justthen？”
　　ThequestionappearedtoembarrassMr。Winslowagooddeal。He，colored，fidgetedandstammered。”Nothin’，nothin’ofany，account，“hefaltered。”My——er——mybrainwastakin’awalkaround，myattic，Ical’late。There’splentyofroomuptherefora，tramp。”
　　“No，tellme;Iwanttoknow。”，Herexpressionchangedandshe，added：“Youweren’tthinkingof——ofCharles’——histroubleat，Middleford？，Youdon’tstillthinkmewronginnottellingCaptain，Hunniwell？”
　　“Eh？……Oh，no，no。Iwasn’tthinkin’thatatall。”
　　“Butyoudon’tanswermyquestion。Well，nevermind。Iamreally，almosthappyforthefirsttimeineversolongandImeanto，remainsoifIcan。IamgladIdidnottell——glad。Andyoumust，agreewithme，Mr。Winslow——Jed，Imean——orIshallnotruninso，oftentotalkinthisconfidentialway。”
　　“Eh？，Notrunin？，Godfreys，Mrs。Ruth，don’ttalkso！，Excusemy，stronglanguage，butyouscaredme，talkin’aboutnotrunnin’in。”
　　“Youdeservetobescared，justalittle，forcriticizingmein，yourthoughts。Oh，don’tthinkmefrivolous，“shepleaded，with，anotherswiftchange。”Irealizeitwasallwrong。Andsometime，byandby，afterCharleshasfirmlyestablishedhimself，afterthey，reallyknowhim，Ishallgotothebankpeople，orhewillgoto，them，andtellthewholestory。BythattimeI’msure——I’msure，theywillforgiveusboth。Don’tyouthinkso？”
　　Jedwouldhaveforgivenheranything。Henodded。
　　“Sartinsuretheywill，“hesaid。Then，askingaquestionthathad，beeninhisthoughtsforsometime，hesaid：“Howdoesyourbrother，feelaboutithimself，Mrs。Ruth？”
　　“Atfirsthethoughtheshouldtelleverything。Hedidnotwantto，takethepositionunderfalsepretenses，hesaid。ButwhenI
　　explainedhowhemightlosethisopportunityandwhatan，opportunityitmightbeforusallheagreedthatperhapsitwas，besttowait。AndIamsureitisbest，Jed。Butthen，Imeanto，putthewholedreadfulbusinessfrommymind，ifIcan，andbe，happywithmylittlegirlandmybrother。AndIamhappy;Ifeel，almostlikeagirlmyself。Soyoumustn’tremindme，Jed，andyou，mustn’tcriticizeme，eventhoughyouandIbothknowyouare，right。Youaremyonlyconfidant，youknow，andIdon’tknowwhat，intheworldIshoulddowithoutyou，sotrytobearwithme，if，youcan。”
　　Jedobservedthatheguessedlikelytherewouldn’tbemuchtrouble，athisendoftheline，providingshecouldmanagetoworryalong，withafellerthatwenttosleepsittin’up，andinthedaytime，likeanowl。Aftershehadgone，however，heagainrelapsedinto，slumber，andhisdreams，judgingbyhisexpression，musthavebeen，pleasant。
　　Thatafternoonhehadanunexpectedvisit。Hehadjustfinished，washinghisdinnerdishesandheandBabbiewereintheoutershop，together，whenthevisitorcame。Jedwasdroning“OldHundred“
　　withimprovisationsofhisown，thesaidimprovisinghavingthe，effectofslowingdownthealreadyextremelydeliberateanthem，untiltheresultcomparedtotheoriginalwasforspeed，asan，oysterscowcomparedtoanelectriclaunch。Thismusicalcrawlhe，usedasanaccompanimenttothesortingandpilingofvariousparts，ofanorderjustreceivedfromaSouthernresort。Barbarawas，helpinghim，atleastshecalledheractivities“helping。”，When，Jedhadfinishedcountingapileofvanesormillpartsshecounted，themtomakesure。Usuallyhercountandhisdidnotagree，so，bothcountedagain，gettingineachother’swayand，asMr。Winslow，expressedit，havingagoodtimegenerally。Andthisremark，intendedtobefacetious，wasafterallprettyclosetotheliteral，truth。CertainlyBabbiewasenjoyingherself，andJed，wherean，impatientmanwouldhavebeenfrantic，wasenjoyingherenjoyment。
　　Petunia，perchedinlopsidedfashiononaheapofmill-sideswas，apparently，superintending。
　　“There！”declaredJed，stackingadozensailorsbesideadozenof，whattheordercalled“birdhousesmediumknockeddown。”，“There！
　　that’sthelivin’lastone，Idobelieve。Hihum！，Nowwe’vegot，tobox’em，haven’twe？……Ye-es，yes，yes，yes……
　　Hum……
　　“’Di——de——di——de——di——de……”
　　“Where’sthathammer？，Oh，yes，here’tis。”
　　“’Di——de——di——de——’
　　NowwhereonearthhaveIputthatpencil，Babbie？，HaveI
　　swallowedit？，DON’Ttellmeyou’veseenmeswallowit，’causethat，flavoroflead-pencilneverdidagreewithme。”
　　Thechildburstintoatrilloflaughter。
　　“Why，UncleJed，“sheexclaimed，“thereitis，behindyourear。”
　　“Isit？，Sho，so’tis！，Nowthatprovestheinstinctofdumb，animals，don’tit？，Thatlead-pencilknewenoughtorealizethatmy，earwassobigthatanythingshortofacord-woodstickcouldhide，behindit。Tut，tut！，Surprisin’，surprisin’！”
　　“But，UncleJed，apencilisn’tananimal。”
　　“Eh？，Ain’tit？，SeemedtomeI’dreadsomethin’abouttheragin’
　　lead-pencilseekin’whomitmightdevour。Butmaybethatwasa——
　　er——lionoraclamorsomethin’。”
　　Babbielookedathiminpuzzledfashionforamoment。Thenshe，sagelyshookherheadanddeclared：“UncleJed，Ithinkyouare，perfectlyscru-she-aking。PetuniaandIareconvulshed。We——“she，stopped，listened，andthenannounced：“UncleJed，ITHINKsomebody，cameupthewalk。”
　　Thethoughtreceivedconfirmationimmediatelyintheformofa，knockatthedoor。Jedlookedoverhisspectacles。
　　“Hum，“hemused，sadly，“there’snopeaceforthewicked，Babbie。
　　Nosoonergetoneorderallfixedandoutofthewaythanalong，comesacustomerandyouhavetogetanotheroneready。IfI’d，known’twasgoin’tobelikethisI’dneverhavegoneinto，business，wouldyou？，Butmaybe’tain’tacustomer，maybeit’s，Cap’nSamorGabeBearseorsomebody……Theywouldn’tknock，though，’tain’tlikely;anyhowGabewouldn’t……Comein，“he，called，astheknockwasrepeated。
　　Thepersonwhoenteredtheshopwasatallmaninuniform。The，afternoonwascloudyandtheoutershop，piledhighwithstockand，lumber，wasshadowy。ThemaninuniformlookedatJedandBarbara，andtheylookedathim。Hespokefirst。
　　“Pardonme，“hesaid，“butisyournameWinslow？”
　　Jednodded。”Yes，sir，“hereplied，deliberately。”Iguesslikely，’tis。”
　　“Ihavecomeheretoseeifyoucouldletmehave——“
　　Babbieinterruptedhim。Forgettinghermannersintheexcitement，ofthediscoverywhichhadjustflasheduponher，sheutteredan，exclamation。
　　“Oh，UncleJed！”sheexclaimed。
　　Jed，startled，turnedtowardher。
　　“Yes？”heasked，hastily。”What’sthematter？”
　　“Don’tyouknow？，He——he’stheniceofficerone。”
　　“Eh？，Thenicewhat？，Whatareyoutalkin’about，Babbie？”
　　Babbie，nowsomewhatabashedandashamedofherinvoluntary，outburst，turnedredandhesitated。
　　“Imean，“shestammered，“Imeanhe——he’sthe——officeronethat——
　　thatwasnicetousthatday。”
　　“Thatday？，Whatday？……Justexcusethelittlegirl，won’t，you？”headded，apologetically，turningtothecaller。”She’smade，amistake;shethinkssheknowsyou，Iguess。”
　　“ButIDO，UncleJed。Don’tyouremember？，Overattheflying，place？”
　　Theofficerhimselftookastepforward。
　　“Why，ofcourse，“hesaid，pleasantly。”Sheisquiteright。I
　　thoughtyourfaceswerefamiliar。Youandshewereoveratthe，campthatdaywhenoneofourconstructionplanswaslost。She，founditforus。AndLieutenantRayburnandIhavebeengrateful，manytimessince，“headded。
　　Jedrecognizedhimthen。
　　“Well，Isnum！”heexclaimed。”Ofcourse！，Sartin！，Ifithadn’t，beenforyouI’dhavelostmylifeandBabbie’dhavelostherclam，chowder。Thatcarpenterfellerwouldhavehadmehungforaspyin，tenminutesmore。I’mrealgladtoseeyou，Colonel——ColonelWood。
　　That’syourname，ifIrecollectright。”
　　“Notexactly。MynameisGrover，andI’mnotacolonel，worse，luck，onlyamajor。”
　　“Sho！，Grover，eh？，NowhowinthenationdidIgetitWood？，Oh，yes，Ical’late’twasmixin’upgrovesandwoods。Tut，tut！
　　WonderIdidn’tcallyou’Pines’or’Bushes’orsomethin’……
　　Butthere，sitdown，sitdown。I’mawfulgladyoudroppedin。I’d，aboutgivenuphopin’youwould。”
　　Hebroughtforwardachair，unceremoniouslydumpingtwostacksof，carefullysortedandcountedvanesandsailorsfromitsseattothe，floorpriortodoingso。MajorGroverdeclinedtosit。
　　“Ishouldliketo，butImustn’t，“hesaid。”AndIshouldn’tclaim，creditfordeliberatelymakingyouasocialcall。Icame——thatis，Iwassenthereonamatterof——er——well，firstaidtotheinjured。
　　Icametoseeifyouwouldlendmeacrank。”
　　Jedlookedathim。”A——awhat？”heasked。
　　“Acrank，acrankformycar。Imotoredoverfromthecampand，stoppedatthetelegraphoffice。WhenIcameoutmycarrefusedto，go;theself-starterappearstohavegoneonastrike。Ihadleft，mycrankatthecampandmyonlyhopeseemedtobetobuyorborrow，onesomewhere。Iaskedthetwoorthreefellowsstandingaboutthe，telegraphofficewhereImightbelikelytofindone。Noone，seemedtoknow，butjustthentheoldgrouch——excuseme，personwho，keepsthehardwarestorecamealong。”
　　“Eh？，PhinBabbitt？，Littlemanwiththestubofapaintbrush，growin’onhischin？”
　　“Yes，that’stheone。IaskedhimwhereIshouldbelikelytofind，acrank。HesaidifIcameacrosstothisshopIoughttofind，one。”
　　“Hedid，eh？……Hum！”
　　“Yes，hedid。SoIcame。”
　　“Hum！”
　　Thisobservationbeingneithersatisfyingnorparticularly，illuminating，MajorGroverwaitedforsomethingmoreexplicit。He，waitedinvain;Mr。Winslow，hiseyesfixeduponthetoeofhis，visitor’smilitaryboot，appearedtobemesmerized。
　　“SoIcame，“repeatedthemajor，afteraninterval。
　　“Eh？……Oh，yes，yes。Soyoudid，soyoudid……Hum！”
　　Heroseand，walkingtothewindow，peepedabouttheedgeofthe，shadeacrossanddowntheroadinthedirectionofthetelegraph，office。
　　“Phineas，“hedrawled，musingly，“andSquealerandLuteSmalland，Bluey。Hu-u-m！……Yes，yes。”
　　Heturnedawayfromthewindowandbeganintoningahymn。Major，Groverseemedtobedividedbetweenadesiretolaughanda，tendencytowardlosingpatience。
　　“Well，“hequeried，afteranotherinterval，“aboutthatcrank？
　　HaveyouoneImightborrow？，Itmaynotfit，probablywon’t，butI
　　shouldliketotryit。”
　　Jedsighed。”There’sacrankhere，“hedrawled，“butitwouldn’t，bemuchusearoundautomobiles，I’mafraid。I’mit。”
　　“What？，Idon’tunderstand。”
　　“IsayI’mit。MypetnamearoundOrhamistowncrank。That’swhy，Phineassentyoutomyshop。HesaidyouOUGHTtofindacrank，here。Hewasright，I’m’mostgenerallyin。”
　　Thisstatementwasmadequietly，deliberatelyandwithnotraceof，resentment。Havingmadeit，thespeakerbeganpickingupthevanes，andsailorshehadspilledwhenheprofferedhisvisitorthechair。
　　MajorGrovercolored，andfrowned。
　　“Doyoumeantotellme，“hedemanded，“thatthatfellowsentme，overherebecause——because——“
　　“BecauseI’mtowncrank？，Ye-es，that’swhatImean。”
　　“Indeed！，Thatishisideaofajoke，isit？”
　　“Seemstobe。He’sanawfulcomicalcritter，PhinBabbittis——in，hisownway。”
　　“Well，it’snotmyway。Hesendsmeoverheretomakeanassof，myselfandinsultyou——“
　　“Now，now，Major，excuseme。Phindidn’thaveanyideathatyou’d，insultme。Yousee，“withthefleetingsmile，“hewouldn’tbelieve，anybodycoulddothat。”
　　Groverturnedsharplytothedoor。Mr。Winslowspokehisname。
　　“Er——MajorGrover，“hesaid，gently，“Iwouldn’t。”
　　Themajorpaused。”Wouldn’twhat？”hedemanded。
　　“GooverthereandtellPhinandtherestwhatyouthinkof’em。
　　If’twoulddo’emanygoodI’dsay，’Formercysakes，go！’，But，’twouldn’t;theywouldn’tbelieveit。”
　　Grover’slipstightened。
　　“TellingitmightdoMEsomegood，“heobserved，significantly。
　　“Yes，Iknow。Butmaybewemightgetthesamegoodormoreina，differentway……Hum！……What——er——brandofautomobileis，yours？”
　　Themajortoldhim。Jednodded。
　　“Hum……yes，“hedrawled。”Isee……Isee。”
　　Groverlaughed。”I’llbehangedifIdo！”heobserved。
　　“Eh！……Well，Itellyou;yousitdownandletBabbietalk，Petuniatoyouaminuteortwo。I’llberightback。”
　　Hehurriedintothebackshop，closingthedoorafterhim。A
　　momentlaterGrovercaughtaglimpseofhimcrossingthebackyard，anddisappearingovertheedgeofthebluff。
　　“Whereintheworldhasthefellowgone？”hesoliloquizedaloud，amusedalthoughimpatient。Barbaratookituponherselftoanswer。
　　UncleJedhadleftthecallerinherchargeandshefelther，responsibilities。
　　“He’sgonedowntheshorepath，“shesaid。”Idon’tknowwhere，elsehe’sgone，butit’sallright，anyway。”
　　“Oh，isit？，Youseemquitesureofit，younglady。”
　　“Iam。EverythingUncleJeddoesisright。Sometimesyoudon’t，thinksoatfirst，butitturnsoutthatway。Mammasaysheis，petunia——no，Imeanpeculiarbut——butvery——re-li-a-ble，“thelast，wordconqueredafteravisiblestruggle。”Shesaysifyoudowhat，hetellsyoutoyouwillbe’mostalwaysglad。Ithink’always’
　　withoutany’most，’“sheadded。
　　MajorGroverlaughed。”That’sareputationforinfallibilityworth，having，“heobserved。
　　Barbaradidnotknowwhathemeantbutshehadnointentionof，betrayingthatfact。
　　“Yes，“sheagreed。Amomentlatershesuggested：“Don’tyouthink，you’dbettersitdown？，Hetoldyouto，youknow。”
　　“GreatScott，sohedid！，Imustobeyorders，mustn’tI？，Buthe，toldyoutotalk——somethingorothertome，Ithink。Whatwasit？”
　　“HetoldmetotalkPetuniatoyou。Theresheis——upthere。”
　　ThemajorregardedPetunia，whowasseatedupontheheapofmill-
　　sides，inamosthaphazardanddissipatedattitude。
　　“Sheismyoldestdaughter，“continuedBarbara。”She’svery，advancedforheryears。”
　　“Dearme！”
　　“Yes。And……oh，herecomesMamma！”
　　Mrs。Armstrongenteredtheshop。Themajorrose。Barbaradidthe，honors。
　　“Iwasjustgoingtocomein，Mamma，“sheexplained，“butUncleJed，askedmetostayandtalktoMr——ImeanMajor——Grovertillhecame，back。He’sgoneout，buthewon’tbelong。Mamma，thisisMr。
　　MajorGrover，theonewhokeptUncleJedfrombeingspied，overat，theflyingplacethatdaywhenIfoundtheplanpaperandhemadea，shingleboatsailoutofit。”
　　Ruthcameforward。Shehadbeenwalkingalongtheedgeofthe，bluff，lookingoutoverthetumbledgrayandwhitewater，andthe，lateOctoberwindhadtossedherhairandbroughtthecolortoher，cheeks。Sheputoutherhand。
　　“Oh，yes，“shesaid。”Howdoyoudo，MajorGrover？，Ihavehearda，greatdealaboutyousincethedayofBabbie’spicnic。I’msureI
　　oweyouanapologyforthetroublemysmalldaughtermusthave，causedthatday。”
　　Sheandthemajorshookhands。Thelatterexpressedhimselfas，beingverygladtomeetMrs。Armstrong。Helookedasifhemeant，it。
　　“Andnoapologiesaredue，notfromyoursideatleast，“he，declared。”Ifithadnotbeenforyourlittlegirlourmissing，planmighthavebeenmissingyet。”
　　Fifteenminuteselapsedbeforetheownerofthewindmillshop，returned。Whenhedidcomehurryingupthebluffandinatthe，backdoor，heatedandoutofbreath，nooneseemedtohavemissed，himgreatly。MajorGrover，whomightreasonablyhavebeenexpected，toshowsomeirritationathislongwait，appearedquiteoblivious，ofthefactthathehadwaitedatall。HeandBarbarawereseated，sidebysideuponapackingcase，whileRuthoccupiedthechair。
　　WhenJedcamepantinginitwasBabbiewhogreetedhim。
　　“Oh，UncleJed！”sheexclaimed，“youjustoughttohavebeenhere。
　　Mr——ImeanMajorGroverhasbeentellingMammaandmeaboutgoing，upina——inadiggibleballoon。Itwasawf’lyinteresting。Wasn’t，it，Mamma？”
　　Hermotherlaughinglyagreedthatitwas。Jed，whosehandswere，full，depositedhisburdenuponanotherpackingcase。Thesaid，burdenconsistedofnolessthanthreemotorcarcranks。Grover，regardedthemwithsurprise。
　　“Whereintheworlddidyougetthose？”hedemanded。”ThelastI
　　sawofyouyouweredisappearingoverthatbank，apparentlyheaded，outtosea。Doyoudigthosethingsupontheflatshereabouts，likeclams？”
　　Jedrubbedhischin。”Not’sIknowof，“hereplied。”Iborrowed，thesedownatJoshuaRogers’garage。”
　　“Rogers’garage？”repeatedGrover。”Thatisn’tnearhere，isit？”
　　“Itisaneighthofamilefromhere，“declaredRuth。”Andnot，downbythebeach，either。Whatdoyoumean，Jed？”
　　Jedwasstandingbythefrontwindow，peepingout。”Um-hm，“he，said，musingly，“they’restillthere，thewholelotof’em，waitin’
　　foryoutocomeout，Major……Hum……dear，dear！，And，they’realldoubledupnowlaughin’aheadoftime……Dear，dear！thisisaworldofdisappointment，sureenough。”
　　“WhatAREyoutalkingabout？”demandedMajorGrover。
　　“JED！”exclaimedRuth。
　　Barbarasaidnothing。ShewasaccustomedtoherUncleJed’s，vagariesandknewthat，inhisowngoodtime，anexplanationwould，beforthcoming。Itcamenow。
　　“Why，yousee，“saidJed，“PhinBabbittandtherestsendin’you，overheretofindacrankwastheirlittlejoke。They’reenjoyin’
　　itnow。Theonethingneededtomake’emhappyforlifeistosee，youcomeoutofhereempty-handedandsob’ilin’madthatyoufroth，over。Ifyoucomeoutsmilin’andwithwhatyoucameafter，why——
　　why，thenthecreamoftheirjokehasturnedalittlesour，asyou，mightsay。See？”
　　Groverlaughed。”Yes，Iseethatplainenough，“heagreed。”And，I’mcertainlyobligedtoyou。Iowedthosefellowsone。Butwhat，Idon’tseeishowyougotthosecranksbygoingdowntothe，seashore。”
　　“W-e-e-ll，ifI’dgonestraightuptheroadtoRogers’sourjokin’
　　friendswouldhaveknownthat’swherethecrankscamefrom。I
　　wanted’emtothinktheycamefromrighthere。SoIwentoverthe，bankbackoftheshop，wheretheycouldn’tseeme，alongthebeach，tillIgotabreastofJoshua’sandthenupacrosslots。Icame，backthewayIwent。Ihopethosethings’llfit，Major。Oneof，’emwill，Iguesslikely。”
　　Themajorlaughedagain。”Icertainlyamobligedtoyou，Mr。
　　Winslow，“hesaid。”AndImustsayyoutookalotoftroubleonmy，account。”
　　Jedsighed，althoughtherewasalittletwinkleinhiseye。
　　“’Twan’taltogetheronyouraccount，“hedrawled。”Iowed’emone，sameasyoudid。Iwasthecranktheysentyouto。”
　　TheirvisitorbadeBarbaraandhermothergoodafternoon，gathered，uphiscranksandturnedtothedoor。
　　“I’llstepoverandstartthecar，“hesaid。”ThenI’llcomeback，andreturnthesethings。”
　　Jedshookhishead。”Iwouldn’t，“hesaid。”Youmaystopagain，beforeyougetbacktoBayport。Rogersisinnohurryfor’em，he，saidso。Youtake’emalongandfetch’eminnexttimeyou’re，over。Iwantyoutocallagainanyhowandthesecranks’llmakea，goodexcusefordoin’it，“headded。
　　“Oh，Isee。Yes，sotheywill。WiththatunderstandingI’lltake，themalong。Thanksagainandgoodafternoon。”
　　Hehastenedacrossthestreet。Thetwointheshopwatchedfrom，thewindowuntilthecarstartedandmovedoutofsight。Thegroup，bythetelegraphofficeseemedexcitedaboutsomething;they，laughednolongerandtherewasconsiderablenoisyargument。
　　Jed’sliptwitched。”’Thebestlaidplansofmice——andskunks，’“
　　hequoted，solemnly。”Hm！……ThatMajorGroverseemslikea，goodsortofchap。”
　　“Ithinkhe’sawfulnice，“declaredBabbie。
　　Ruthsaidnothing。
　　CHAPTERXIII
　　OctoberpassedandNovembercame。Theverylastofthesummer，cottageswereclosed。Orhamsettleddownforitsregularwinter，hibernation。Thisyearitwasabitlessofanapthanusual，becauseoftheactivityattheaviationcampatEastHarniss。The，swarmofcarpenters，plumbersandmechanicswaslargerthanever，therenowandthebuildingswerehasteningtowardcompletion，for，thefirstallotmentofaviators，soldiersandrecruitswasdueto，arriveinMarch。MajorGroverwasabusyandaworriedman，buthe，usuallyfoundtimetodropinatthewindmillshopforamomentor，twooneachofhisbriefmotortripstoOrham。Sometimeshefound，Jedalone，moreoftenBarbarawastherealso，and，semi-
　　occasionally，Ruth。ThemajorandCharlesPhillipsmetand，appearedtolikeeachother。Charleswasstillontherisingtide，oflocalpopularity。EvenGabeBearsehadagoodwordtosayfor，himamongthemanywhichhesaidconcerninghim。PhineasBabbitt，however，continuedtoexpressdislike，or，atthemost，indifference。
　　“I’mtoooldabird，“declaredthevindictivelittlehardware，dealer，“tobowdownaforeaslicktongueandagood-lookin’
　　figgerhead。He’soneofSamHunniwell’spetsandthat’senoughfor，me。AnybodythattiesuptoSamHunniwellmusthavearottenplank，in’emsomewheres;giveittimeand’twillcomeout。”
　　CharlesandJedWinslowwerebythistimegoodfriends。Theyoung，manusuallyspentatleastafewminutesofeachdaychattingwith，hiseccentricneighbor。Theywerebecomingmoreintimate，attimes，almostconfidential，althoughPhillips，likeeveryotherfriendor，acquaintanceof“Shavings“Winslow，wasinclinedtopatronizeor，condescendabitinhisrelationswiththelatter。Noonetookthe，windmillmakeraltogetherseriously，notevenRuthArmstrong，althoughsheperhapscamenearesttodoingso。Charleswoulddrop，inattheshopofamorning，intheintervalbetweenbreakfastand，bankopening，and，perchingonapileofstock，ortheworkbench，woulddiscussvariousthings。HeandJedwerealikeinone，characteristic——eachhadthehabitofabsent-mindednessandlapsing，intosilenceinthemiddleofaconversation。Jed’slapses，of，course，werelikelytooccurinthemiddleofasentence，evenin，themiddleofaword;withtheyoungermanthesymptomswerenotso，acute。
　　“Well，Charlie，“observedMr。Winslow，ononeoccasion，araw，NovembermorningoftheweekbeforeThanksgiving，“how’sthebank，gettin’along？”
　　Charleswasabitmoresilentthatmorningthanhehadbeenof，late。Heappearedtobesomewhatreflective，evensomber。Jed，on，thelookoutforjustsuchsymptoms，wastryingtocheerhimup。
　　“Oh，allrightenough，Iguess，“wasthereply。
　　“Likeyourworkaswellasever，don’tyou？”
　　“Yes——oh，yes，Ilikeit，whatthereisofit。Itisn’twhatyou’d，callstrenuous。”
　　“No，Ipresumelikelynot，butIshouldn’twonderiftheygaveyou，somethin’moreresponsiblesomeofthesedays。Theyknowyou’reup，todoin’it;Cap’nSam’stoldmesomore’nonce。”
　　Hereoccurredoneofthelapsesjustmentioned。Phillipssaid，nothingforaminuteormore。Thenheasked：“Whatsortofaman，isCaptainHunniwell？”
　　“Eh？，Whatsortofaman？，Yououghttoknowhimyourselfpretty，wellbythistime。YouseemoreofhimeverydaythanIdo。”
　　“Idon’tmeanasabusinessmanoranythinglikethat。Imeanwhat，sortofmanishe——er——inside？，Ishealwaysasgood-naturedashe，seems？，Howishearoundhisownhouse？，Withhisdaughter——or——or，thingslikethat？，You’veknownhimallyourlife，youknow，andI
　　haven’t。”
　　“Um——ye-es——yes，I’veknownSamforagoodmanyyears。He’ssquare，allthrough，Samis。Honestasthedayislongand——“
　　Charlesstirreduneasily。”Iknowthat，ofcourse，“heinterrupted。
　　“Iwasn’tquestioninghishonesty。”
　　Jed’stenderconscienceregisteredapang。Thereferenceto，honestyhadnotbeenmadewithanyulteriormotive。
　　“Sartin，sartin，“hesaid;“Iknowyouwasn’t，Charlie，courseI
　　knowthat。YouwantedtoknowwhatsortofamanSamwasinhis，familyandsuch，Ijudge。Well，he’samightygoodfather——almost，toogood，Isupposelikelysomefolkswouldsay。Hejustbowsdown，andworshipsthatdaughterofhis。AnythingMaudwantsthathecan，givehershecanhave。Andshewantsagooddeal，Iwillgivein，“
　　headded，withhisquietdrawl。
　　Hiscallerdidnotspeak。Jedwhistledafewmournfulbarsand，sharpenedachiselonanoilstone。
　　“IfJohnD。Vanderbiltshouldcomearoundcourtin’Maud，“hewent，on，afteramoment，“Idon’tknowasSamwouldcal’latehewasgood，enoughforher。Anyhowhe’dfeelthat’twasherthatwasdoin’the，favor，notJohnD……AndIguesshe’dberight;Idon’tknow，anyVanderbilts，butI’veknownMaudsinceshewasababy。She’sa——“
　　Hepaused，inspectinganickinthechiseledge。AgainPhillips，shiftedinhisseatontheedgeoftheworkbench。
　　“Well？”heasked。
　　“Eh？”Jedlookedupinmildinquiry。”Whatisit？”hesaid。
　　“That’swhatIwanttoknow——whatisit？，Youweretalkingabout，MaudHunniwell。Yousaidyouhadknownhersinceshewasababy，andthatshewas——somethingorother;thatwasasfarasyougot。”
　　“Sho！……Hum……Oh，yes，yes;Iwasgoin’tosayshewasa，mightynicegirl，asniceassheisgood-lookin’andlively。
　　There’sadozenyoungchapsinthiscountycrazyaboutherthis，minute，butthereain’tanyoneof’emgoodenoughforher……
　　Hello，yougoin’sosoon？，’Tisn’thalf-pastnineyet，isit？”
　　Phillipsdidnotanswer。Hissomberexpressionwasstillin，evidence。Jedwouldhavelikedtocheerhimup，buthedidnot，knowhow。Howeverhemadeanattemptbychangingthesubject。
　　“HowisBabbiethismornin’？”heasked。
　　“She’saslivelyasacricket，ofcourse。Andfullofexcitement。
　　She’sgoingtoschoolnextMonday，youknow。You’llrathermiss，herabouttheshophere，won’tyou？”
　　“Missher！，MylandofGoshen！，Ishouldn’tbesurprisedifI
　　folleredhertoschoolmyself，likeMary’slittlelamb。Missher！
　　Don’ttalk！”
　　“Well，solong……Whatisit？”
　　“Eh？”
　　“Whatisityouwanttosay？，Youlookasifyouwantedtosay，something。”
　　“DoI？……Hum……Oh，’twasn’tanythingspecial……
　　How’s——er——how’syoursisterthismornin’？”
　　“Oh，she’swell。Ihaven’tseenhersowellsince——thatis，fora，longtime。You’vemadeagreathitwithSis，Jed，“headded，with，alaugh。”Shecan’tsayenoughgoodthingsaboutyou。Saysyou，areheronedependableinOrham，orsomethinglikethat。”
　　Jed’sfaceturnedabrightred。”Oh，sho，sho！”heprotested，“she，mustn’ttalkthatway。Ihaven’tdoneanything。”
　　“Shesaysyouhave。Well，by-by。”
　　Hewentaway。ItwassometimebeforeJedresumedhischisel-
　　sharpening。
　　Later，whenhecametoreflectuponhisconversationwithyoung，Phillipstherewereoneortwothingsaboutitwhichpuzzledhim。
　　TheywerestillpuzzlinghimwhenMaudHunniwellcameintothe，shop。Maud，inanewfallsuit，hatandfur，wasapicture，afact，ofwhichshewasaswellawareasthenextperson。Jed，asalways，wasverygladtoseeher。
　　“Well，well！”heexclaimed。”Talkaboutangelsand——andtheyfly，in，sotospeak。Realgladtoseeyou，Maud。Sitdown，sitdown。
　　There’sachair’roundheresomewheres。Nowwhere——？，Oh，yes，I’m，sittin’init。Hum！，That’soneofthereasonswhyIdidn’tsee，it，Ipresumelikely。YoutakeitandI’llfetchanotherfromthe，kitchen。No，Iwon’t，I’llsitonthebench……Hum……has，yourpagotanymoneyleftinthatbankofhis？”
　　MissHunniwellwas，naturally，surprisedatthequestion。
　　“Why，Ihopeso，“shesaid。”Didyouthinkhehadn’t？”
　　“W-e-e-ll，Ididn’tknow。Thatdressofyours，andthatnew，bonnet，musthaveusedupconsider’ble，tosaynothin’ofthat，woodchuckyou’vegot’roundyourneck。’Tisawoodchuck，ain’t，it？”headded，solemnly。
　　“Woodchuck！，Well，Ilikethat！，Ifyouknewwhatasilverfox，costsandhowlongIhadtocoaxbeforeIgotthisoneyouwouldbe，morecarefulinyourlanguage，“shedeclared，withatossofher，head。
　　Jedsighed。”That’sthetroublewithme，“heobserved。”Inever，knowenoughtopickouttherightthings——orfolks——tobecareful，with。IfIsetouttoberealtoadyandhumbletowhatIthinkis，apeacockitgenerallyturnsouttobeaShanghairooster。Andthe，samewhenit’st’otherwayabout。It’sagreatgifttobeableto，tellthereal——er——whatisit？——goldfoxesfromthewoodchucksin，thislife。Iain’tgotitandthat’soneofthetwohundred，thousandreasonswhyIain’trich。”
　　Hebegantohumoneofhisdolefulmelodies。Maudlaughed。
　　“Mercy，whatalongsermon！”sheexclaimed。”Nowonderyousinga，hymnafterit。”
　　Jedsniffed。”Um……ye-es，“hedrawled。”IfIwasmore，worldly-mindedI’dtakeupacollection，probably。Well，how’sall，theUnitedStatesArmy;thegoldlacepartofit，Imean？”
　　Hisvisitorlaughedagain。”ThosethatIknowseemtobeverywell，andhappy，“shereplied。
　　“Um……yes……sartin。They’dbehappy，naturally。Howcould，theyhelpit，underthecircumstances？”
　　Hebeganpickingoveranassortmentofsmallhardware，varyinghis，musicalaccompanimentbywhistlinginsteadofsinging。Hisvisitor，lookedathimratheroddly。
　　“Jed，“sheobserved，“you’rechanged。”
　　Changed？，Iain’tchangedmyclothes，ifthat’swhatyoumean。
　　CourseifI’dknowIwasgoin’tohavebankers’daughterswith，gold——er——muskrats’roundtheirneckscometoseemeI’dhave，dressedup。”
　　“Oh，Idon’tmeanyourclothes。Imeanyou——yourself——you’ve，changed。”
　　“I’vechanged！，How，formercysakes？”
　　“Oh，lotsofways。Youpaytheladiescomplimentsnow。You，wouldn’thavedonethatayearago。”
　　“Eh？，Paycompliments？，I’mafraidyou’remistaken。Yourpasays，I’msoabsent-mindedandforgetfulthatIdon’tpaysomeofmy，billstillthefolksIowe’emtomakeproclamationsthey’regoin’
　　tosueme;andotherbillsIpaytwoorthreetimesover。”
　　“Don’ttrytoescapebydodgingthesubject。YouHAVEchangedin，thelastfewmonths。Ithink，“holdingthetailofthesilverfox，beforeherfaceandregardinghimoverit，“Ithinkyoumustbein，love。”
　　“Eh？”Jedlookedpositivelyfrightened。”Inlove！”
　　“Yes。You’reblushingnow。”
　　“Now，now，Maud，thatain’t——that’ssunburn。”
　　“No，it’snotsunburn。Whoisit，Jed？”mischievously。”Isitthe，prettywidow？，IsitMrs。Armstrong？”
　　Agoodhandfulofthehardwarefelltothefloor。Jedthankfully，scrambleddowntopickitup。MissHunniwell，expressing，contritionatbeingindirectlyresponsibleforthemishap，offered，tohelphim。Hedeclined，ofcourse，butinthelittleargument，whichfollowedthedangerousandembarrassingtopicwasforgotten。
　　ItwasnotuntilshewasabouttoleavetheshopthatMaudagain，mentionedtheArmstrongname。Andthen，oddlyenough，itwasshe，notMr。Winslow，whoshowedembarrassment。
　　“Jed，“shesaid，“whatdoyousupposeIcamehereforthismorning？”
　　Jed’sreplywassurprisinglyprompt。
　　“Toshowyournewrig-out，ofcourse，“hesaid。”’Vanityof，vanities，allisvanity。’，There，NOWIcantakeupacollection，can’tI？”
　　Hisvisitorpouted。”IfyoudoIshan’tputanythinginthebox，“
　　shedeclared。”TheideaofthinkingthatIcameherejusttoshow，offmynewthings。I’veagoodmindnottoinviteyouatallnow。”
　　Shedoubtlessexpectedapologiesandquestionsastowhat，invitationwasmeant。Theymighthavebeenforthcominghadnotthe，windmillmakerbeenengagedjustatthatmomentingazing，abstractedlyatthedoorofthelittlestovewhichheated，orwas，intendedtoheat，theworkshop。Hedidnotappeartohaveheard，herremark，sotheyoungladyrepeatedit。Stillhepaidno，attention。MissMaud，havinginheritedagoodlyshareofthe，Hunniwelldisposition，demandedanexplanation。
　　“Whatintheworldisthematterwithyou？”sheasked。”Whyare，youstaringatthatstove？”
　　Jedstartedandcametolife。”Eh？”heexclaimed。”Oh，Iwas，thinkin’whataneverlastin’nuisance’twas——thestove，Imean。It，needsmorewoodabouteveryfiveminutesintheday，seemsto——
　　needsitnow，that’swhatmademethinkofit。Iwasjust，wonderin’if’twouldn’tbeagoodnotiontosetitupoutinthe，yard。”
　　“Outintheyard？，Putthestoveoutintheyard？，Forgoodness’
　　sake，whatfor？”
　　Jedclaspedhiskneeinhishandandswunghisfootbackandforth。
　　“Oh“hedrawled，“if’twasoutintheyardIshouldn’tknowwhether，itneededwoodornot，so’twouldn’tbeallthetimebotherin’me。”
　　However，heroseandreplenishedthestove。MissHunniwell，laughed。Thenshesaid：“Jed，youdon’tdeserveit，becauseyou，didn’thearmewhenIfirstdroppedthehint，butIcamehere，withaninvitationforyou。PaandIexpectyoutoeatyour，Thanksgivingdinnerwithus。”
　　IfshehadaskedhimtoeatitinjailJedcouldnothavebeenmore，disturbed。
　　“Now——now，Maud，“hestammered，“I——I’meversomuchobligedto，you，butI——Idon’tseehow——“
　　“Nonsense！，Iseehowperfectlywell。Youalwaysactjustthisway，wheneverIinviteyoutoanything。You’renotafraidofPaorme，areyou？”
　　“W-e-e-ll，well，Iain’tafraidofyourPa’sIknowof，butof，course，whensuchafascinatin’youngwomanasyoucomesalong，all，riggeduptokill，why，it’snaturalthatanoldsinglereliclike，meshouldgetkindofnervous。”
　　Maudclaspedherhands。”Oh，“shecried，“there’sanother，compliment！，YouHAVEchanged，Jed。I’mgoingtoaskFatherwhat，itmeans。”
　　ThistimeJedwasreallyalarmed。”Now，now，now，“heprotested，“don’tgotellyourPayarnsaboutme。He’llcomeinhereand，pestermetodeath。Youknowwhatateaseheiswhenhegets，started。Don’t，Maud，don’t。”
　　Shelookedhugelydelightedattheprospect。Hereyessparkled，withmischief。”Icertainlyshalltellhim，“shedeclared，“unless，youpromisetoeatwithusonThanksgivingDay。Oh，comealong，don’tbesosilly。You’veeatenatourhousehundredsoftimes。”
　　Thiswasaslightexaggeration。Jedhadeatentherepossiblyfive，timesinthelastfiveyears。Hehesitated。
　　“Ain’tgoin’tobeanyothercompany，isthere？”heasked，aftera，moment。ItwasnowthatMaudshowedherfirstsymptomsof，embarrassment。
　　“Why，“shesaid，twirlingthefoxtailandlookingatthefloor，“theremaybeoneortwomore。Ithought——ImeanPaandIthought，perhapswemightinviteMrs。ArmstrongandBabbie。Youknowthem，Jed，sotheywon’tbelikestrangers。AndPathinksMrs。Armstrong，isaverynicelady，arealadditiontothetown;I’veheardhim，saysooften，“sheadded，earnestly。
　　Jedwassilent。Shelookedupathimfromunderthebrimofthe，newhat。
　　“Youwouldn’tmindthem，Jed，wouldyou？”sheasked。”They，wouldn’tbelikestrangers，youknow。”
　　Jedrubbedhischin。”I——Idon’tknow’sIwould，“hemused，“alwaysprovidin’theydidn’tmindme。ButIdon’tcal’lateMrs。
　　Ruth——Mrs。Armstrong，Imean——wouldwanttoleaveCharlietohome，aloneonThanksgivin’Day。IfshetookBabbie，youknow，there，wouldn’tbeanybodylefttokeephimcompany。”
　　MissHunniwelltwirledthefoxtailinanoppositedirection。”Oh，ofcourse，“shesaid，withelaboratecarelessness，“weshould，inviteMrs。Armstrong’sbrotherifweinvitedher。Ofcoursewe，shouldHAVEtodothat。”
　　Jednodded，buthemadenocomment。Hisvisitorwatchedhimfrom，beneaththehatbrim。
　　“You——youhaven’tanyobjectiontoMr。Phillips，haveyou？”she，queried。
　　“Eh？，Objections？，ToCharlie？，Oh，no，no。”
　　“Youlikehim，don’tyou？，Fatherlikeshimverymuch。”
　　“Yes，indeed;likehimfust-rate。AllhandslikeCharlie，the，women-folksespecially。”
　　TherewasaperceptibleintervalbeforeMissHunniwellspokeagain。
　　“Whatdoyoumeanbythat？”sheasked。
　　“Eh？，Oh，nothin’，exceptthat，accordin’toyourdad，he’sa，’speciallygoodhandatwaitin’onthewomenandgirlsupatthe，bank，politeandniceto’em，youknow。He’sevenmadeahitwith，oldMelissyBusteed，andittakesaregularfellertodothat。”
　　HewouldnotpromisetoappearattheHunniwellhomeon，Thanksgiving，buthedidagreetothinkitover。Maudhadtobe，contentwiththat。However，shedeclaredthatsheshouldtakehis，acceptanceforgranted。
　　“Weshallsetaplaceforyou，“shesaid。”Ofcourseyou’llcome。
　　Itwillbesuchaniceparty，youandPaandMrs。ArmstrongandI
　　andlittleBabbie。Oh，we’llhavegreatfun，seeifwedon’t。”
　　“AndCharlie;you’releavin’outCharlie，“Jedremindedher。
　　“Oh，yes，soIwas。Well，Isupposehe’llcome，too。Good-by。”
　　Sheskippedaway，wavinghimafarewellwiththetailofthesilver，fox。Jed，gazingafterher，rubbedhischinreflectively。
　　HisindecisionconcerningtheacceptanceoftheHunniwell，invitationlasteduntilthedaybeforeThanksgiving。ThenBarbara，addedherpersuasionstothoseofCaptainSamandhisdaughterand，hegavein。
　　“Ifyoudon’tgo，UncleJed，“assertedBabbie，“we’reallgoin’to，beawfullydisappointed，’speciallymeandPetunia——andMamma——and，UncleCharlie。”
　　“Oh，thentherestofyoufolkswon’tcare，Ipresumelikely？”
　　Babbiethoughtitover。”Why，therearen’tanymoreofus，“she，said。”Oh，Isee！，You’rejokingagain，aren’tyou，UncleJed？
　　’MosteverybodyIknowlaughswhentheymakejokes，butyoudon’t，youlookasifyouweregoingtocry。That’swhyIdon’tlaugh，sometimesrightoff，“sheexplained，politely。”Ifyouwasreally，feelingsobaditwouldn’tbenicetolaugh，youknow。”
　　Jedlaughedthen，himself。”SoPetuniawouldfeelbadifIdidn’t，gotoSam’s，wouldshe？”heinquired。
　　“Yes，“solemnly。”Shetoldmesheshouldn’teatonesinglething，ifyoudidn’tgo。She’saveryhigh-strungchild。”
　　Thatsettledit。JedarguedthatPetuniamustonnoaccountbe，strunghigherthanshewasandconsentedtodineatthe，Hunniwells’。
　　ThedaybeforeThanksgivingbroughtanothervisitortothewindmill，shop，oneaswelcomeashewasunexpected。Jed，hearingthedoor，tothestockroomopen，shouted“Comein“fromhisseatatthe，workbenchintheinnerroom。Whenhissummonswasobeyedhelooked，uptoseeakhaki-cladfigureadvancingwithextendedhand。
　　“Why，hello，Major！”heexclaimed。”I’mrealgladto——，Eh，’tain’tMajorGrover，isit？，Who——，Why，LeanderBabbitt！，Well，well，well！”
　　YoungBabbittwasstraightandsquare-shoulderedandbrown。
　　MilitarytrainingandlifeatCampDevenshadwroughtthemiracle，inhiscasewhichitworksinsomany。Jedfoundithardto，recognizethestoop-shoulderedsonofthehardwaredealerinthe，spruceyoungsoldierbeforehim。WhenhecomplimentedLeanderupon，theimprovementthelatterdisclaimedanycredit。
　　“Thankthedrillmastersecondandyourselffirst，Jed，“hesaid。
　　“They’llmakeamanofafellowupthereatAyerifhe’llgive’em，halfachance。ProbablyIshouldn’thavehadthechanceifit，hadn’tbeenforyou。Youweretheonewhoreallyputmeupto，enlisting。”
　　Jedrefusedtolisten。”Can’tmakeamanoutofapunkinhead，“he，asserted。”Ifyouhadn’thadtherightstuffinyou，Leander，drillmastersnornobodyelsecouldhavefetcheditout。Howdo，youlikebelongin’toUncleSam？”
　　YoungBabbittlikeditandsaidso。”IfeelasifIweredoing，somethingatlast，“hesaid;“asifIwaspartofthebiggestthing，intheworld。CourseI’monlyamightylittlepart，but，after，all，it’ssomething。”
　　Jednodded，gravely。”Youbetit’ssomethin’，“heargued。”It’sa，lot，awholelot。IonlywishIwasstandin’alongsideofyouin，theranks，Leander……I’dbeasight，though，wouldn’tI？”he，added，hisliptwitchinginthefleetingsmile。”Whatdoyouthink，theCommodore，orGeneral，orwhoever’tisbossesthingsatthe，camp，wouldsaywhenhesawme？，He’dthinktheflagpolehadgrown，feet，andwaswalkin’round，Ical’late。”
　　Heaskedhisyoungfriendwhatreceptionhemetwithuponhis，returnhome。Leandersmiledruefully。
　　“Mystep-motherseemedgladenoughtoseeme，“hesaid。”SheandI
　　hadsomelongtalksonthesubjectandIthinkshedoesn’tblameme，muchforgoingintotheservice。Itoldherthewholestoryand，downinherheart，IbelieveshethinksIdidright。”
　　Jednodded。”Don’tseehowshecouldhelpit，“hesaid。”Howdoes，yourdadtakeit？”
　　Leanderhesitated。”Well，“hesaid，“youknowFather。Hedoesn’t，changehismindeasily。HeandIdidn’tgetasclosetogetherasI
　　wishwecould。Anditwasn’tmyfaultthatwedidn’t，“headded，earnestly。
　　Jedunderstood。HehadknownPhineasBabbittformanyyearsandhe，knewthelittleman’shard，implacabledispositionandtheviolence，ofhisprejudices。
　　“Um-hm，“hesaid。”Allthesame，Leander，Ibelieveyourfather，thinksmoreofyouthanhedoesofanythingelseonearth。”
　　“Ishouldn’twonderifyouwasright，Jed。Butontheotherhand，I’mafraidheandIwillneverbethesameafterIcomebackfrom，thewar——alwaysprovidingIdocomeback，ofcourse。”
　　“Sshh，sshh！，Don’ttalkthatway。Courseyou’llcomeback。”
　　“Younevercantell。However，ifIknewIwasn’tgoingto，it，wouldn’tmakeanydifferenceinmyfeelingsaboutgoing。I’mglad，IenlistedandI’mmightythankfultoyouforbackingmeupinit。
　　Ishan’tforgetit，Jed。”
　　“Sho，sho！，It’seasytotellotherfolkswhattodo。That’show，theKaiserearnshissalary;onlyhegivesadvicetotheAlmighty，andIain’tgotasfaralongasthatyet。”
　　Theydiscussedthewaringeneralandbysections。Justbeforehe，left，youngBabbittsaid：
　　“Jed，thereisonethingthatworriesmealittleinconnection，withFather。Hewasbitteragainstthewarbeforewewentintoit，andbeforeheandCap’nSamHunniwellhadtheirstringofrows。
　　SincethenandsinceIenlistedhehasbeenworsethanever。The，thingshesaysagainstthegovernmentandagainstthecountrymake，MEwanttolickhim——andI’mhisownson。Iamreallyscaredfor，fearhe’llgethimselfjailedforbeingatraitororsomethingof，thatsort。”
　　Mr。WinslowaskedifPhineas’feelingagainstCaptainHunniwellhad，softenedatall。Leander’sreplywasavigorousnegative。
　　“Notabit，“hedeclared。”Hehatesthecap’nworsethanever，if，that’spossible，andhe’lldohimsomebadturnsomeday，ifhe，can，I’mafraid。Youmustthinkit’squeermyspeakingthiswayof，myownfather，“headded。”Well，Idon’ttoanyoneelse。Somehow，afellowalwaysfeelsasifhecouldsayjustwhathethinksto，you，JedWinslow。Ifeelthatway，anyhow。”
　　HeandJedshookhandsatthedoorintheearlyNovembertwilight。
　　LeanderwastoeathisThanksgivingdinnerathomeandthenleave，forcampontheafternoontrain。
　　“Well，good-by，“hesaid。
　　Jedseemedloathtorelinquishthehandclasp。
　　“Oh，don’tsaygood-by;it’sjust’Seeyoulater，’“hereplied。
　　Leandersmiled。”Ofcourse。Well，then，seeyoulater，Jed。
　　We’llwriteonceinawhile;eh？”
　　Jedpromised。Theyoungfellowstrodeoffintothedusk。Somehow，withhissquareshouldersandhistanned，resolutecountryface，he，seemedtotypifyYoungAmericasettingcheerfullyforthtoface——
　　anything——thatHonorandDecencymaystillbemorethanemptywords，inthisworldofours。
　　CHAPTERXIV
　　TheHunniwellThanksgivingdinnerwasanentiresuccess。Even，CaptainSamhimselfwasforcedtoadmitit，althoughheprofessed，todosowithreluctance。
　　“Yes，“hesaid，withanelaboratewinkinthedirectionofhis，guests，“it’saprettygooddinner，considerin’everything。Of，course’tain’twhatafellerusedtogetdownatSamCoy’seatin’-
　　houseonAtlanticAvenue，butit’sprettygood——asIsay，when，everything’sconsidered。”
　　Hisdaughterwashighlyindignant。”Doyoumeantosaythatthis，dinnerisn’tasgoodasthoseyouusedtogetatthatBoston，restaurant，Pa？”shedemanded。”Don’tyoudaresaysuchathing。”
　　Herfathertuggedathisbeardandlookedtremendouslysolemn。
　　“Well，“heobserved，“asaboyIwasbroughtuptoalwaysspeakthe，truthandI’vetriedtoliveuptomyearlytrainin’。Speakin’as，atruthfulman，then，I’mobligedtosaythatthisdinnerain’t，likethoseIusedtogetatSamCoy’s。”
　　Ruthputinaword。”Well，then，CaptainHunniwell，“shesaid，“I
　　thinktherestaurantyourefertomustbeoneofthebestinthe，world。”
　　Beforethecaptaincouldreply，Mauddiditforhim。
　　“Mrs。Armstrong，“shecautioned，“youmustn’ttakemyfathertoo，seriously。Hedearlylovestocatchpeoplewithwhathehopesisa，joke。Foraminutehecaughtevenmethistime，butIseethrough，himnow。Hedidn’tsaythedinnerathispreciousrestaurantwas，BETTERthanthisone，hesaiditwasn’tlikeit，that’sall。Which，isprobablytrue，“sheadded，withwitheringscorn。”ButwhatI
　　shouldliketoknowiswhathemeansbyhis’everything，considered。’“
　　Herfather’sgravitywasunshaken。”Well，“hesaid，“allImeant，wasthatthiswasaprettygooddinner，considerin’whowas，responsibleforgettin’itup。”
　　“Isee，Isee。Mrs。Ellis，ourhousekeeper，andIareresponsible，Mrs。Armstrong，soyouunderstandnowwhoheisshootingat。Very，well，Pa，“sheadded，calmly，“therestofuswillhaveourdessert，now。YoucangetyoursatSamCoy’s。”
　　ThedessertwasmincepieandaBostonfrozenpudding，thelatter，anespecialfavoriteofCaptainSam’s。Hecapitulatedatonce。
　　“’Kamerad！，Kamerad！’“hecried，holdingupbothhands。”That’s，whattheGermanssaywhentheysurrender，ain’tit？，Igivein，Maud。Youcanshootmeagainstastonewall，ifyouwantto，only，givememyfrozenpuddin’first。Itain’tsomuchthatIlikethe，puddin’，“heexplainedtoMrs。Armstrong，“butInevercanmakeout，whetherit’sflavoredwithtansyorspearmint。Maudwon’ttellme，butIknowit’ssomethin’old-fashionedandremindsmeofmy，grandmother;or，maybe，it’smygrandfather;cometothink，Iguess，likely’tis。”