m better than I
used to sweep that coop, I'd deserve all you folks say about me.'

"He says this so sort of sad like that Marshall can't help laughing, and
he starts in telling how he used to sojer when he was a kid. And once
started, with the Boss looking like his heart would melt out of his
eyes, Marshall kept it up till the whole of his life lay before the Boss
like an illustrated Sunday Supplement.

"'You've had great experiences,' says the Boss. 'I've not had much
experience in dealing with men as you have. I'm wondering if you would
help me get this idea across with the folks round here. I want them to
see this; that America has never made a more magnificent experiment to
see if us folks can handle our own big business and pay a debt
contracted by ourselves. I'd like to see this done, Marshall,' he says
sad like, 'as a sort of last legacy of the New England spirit, for we
old New Englanders are going, Marshall, same as the buffalo and the
Indian.'

"Something about the way he said it sort of made your eyes sting and
Marshall says, rough-like, 'I'll think it over and I'd just as soon tell
what you said to the neighbors,' Then, while the Boss went up to the
house to get a drink of water, Marshall says to us, 'He's got a good
shaped head. I wouldn't a made so many fool cracks about him if I'd
known he could be so sort of friendly and decent.'"

During this recital, Mrs. Flynn had drawn near and now with eyes on
Murphy she was absently polishing the teaspoons with the dustcloth.

"Why don't you send some of those folks to me?" she cried. "I'd tell 'em
a thing or two about the Big Boss. There's a letter over there now on
the desk from the German government, asking him questions and offering
him a job. Incompetent!"

"How do you know what's in the letter, Mrs. Flynn?" asked Uncle Denny,
with a wink at Murphy.

"Because I read it," returned Mrs. Flynn, with shameless candor.
"Somebody's got to keep track of the respects that's paid that poor boy
or nobody'd ever know it. God knows I hate the Dutch, but they know a
good man when they hear of one better than the Americans. And I wish you
two'd get out of here while I set the table for dinner."

The two men laughed and got their hats. "I'll meet you at the office
shortly," said Uncle Denny. "I've a call to make."

Pen was sitting on the doorstep when Uncle Denny came up. She was
looking very tired and her cheeks were flushed. She rose and led him
away from the te