olation reigned upon the once
well-filled table.

In the evening, as they all sat together round the table, Maggie climbed
on Mr. Morton's knee and petitioned for a story.

"What shall it be about?" he asked.

"Oh, anything."

"Let me think a moment," said the young man.

He bent his eyes thoughtfully upon the wood-fire that crackled in the
wide-open fireplace, and soon signified that he was ready to begin.

All the children gathered around him, and even Mrs. Frost, sitting
quietly at her knitting, edged her chair a little nearer, that she, too,
might listen to Mr. Morton's story. As this was of some length, we shall
devote to it a separate chapter.

CHAPTER XIX. THE WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION

"My story," commenced Mr. Morton, "is rather a remarkable one in some
respects; and I cannot vouch for its being true. I shall call it 'The
Wonderful Transformation.'

"Thomas Tubbs was a prosperous little tailor, and for forty years had
been a resident of the town of Webbington, where he had been born and
brought up. I have called him little, and you will agree with me when I
say that, even in high-heeled boots, which he always wore, he measured
only four feet and a half in height.

"In spite, however, of his undersize, Thomas had succeeded in winning
the hand of a woman fifteen inches taller than himself. If this extra
height had been divided equally between them, possibly they might have
attracted less observation. As it was, when they walked to church, the
top of the little tailor's beaver just about reached the shoulders of
Mrs. Tubbs. Nevertheless, they managed to live very happily together,
for the most part, though now and then, when Thomas was a little
refractory, his better half would snatch him up bodily, and, carrying
him to the cellar, lock him up there. Such little incidents only served
to spice their domestic life, and were usually followed by a warm
reconciliation.

"The happy pair had six children, all of whom took after their mother,
and promised to be tall; the oldest boy, twelve years of age, being
already taller than his father, or, rather, he would have been but for
the tall hat and high-heeled boots.

"Mr. Tubbs was a tailor, as I have said. One day there came into his
shop a man attired with extreme shabbiness. Thomas eyed him askance.

"'Mr. Tubbs,' said the stranger, 'as you perceive, I am out at the
elbows. I would like to get you to make me up a suit of clothes.'

"'Ahem!' coughed T