help themselves.' Now you just watch us manoeuvre for assistance,
Belshazzar, old boy! Here we go!"

Then the laugh began again. It continued all the way to Onabasha and
even into the city. The Harvester drove through the most prosperous
street until he reached the residence district. At the first home
he stopped, gave the lines to Belshazzar, and, taking a basket of
mushrooms, went up the walk and rang the bell.

"All groceries should be delivered at the back door," snapped a pert
maid, before he had time to say a word.

The Harvester lifted his hat.

"Will you kindly tell the lady of the house that I wish to speak with
her?"

"What name, please?"

"I want to show her some fine mushrooms, freshly gathered," he answered.

How she did it the Harvester never knew. The first thing he realized was
that the door had closed before his face, and the basket had been picked
deftly from his fingers and was on the other side. After a short time
the maid returned.

"What do you want for them, please?"

The last thing on earth the Harvester wanted to do was to part with
those mushrooms, so he took one long, speculative look down the hall and
named a price he thought would be prohibitive.

"One dollar a dozen."

"How many are there?"

"I count them as I sell them. I do not know."

The door closed again. Presently it opened and the maid knelt on the
floor before him and counted the mushrooms one by one into a dish pan
and in a few minutes brought back seven dollars and fifty cents. The
chagrined Harvester, feeling like a thief, put the money in his pocket,
and turned away.

"I was to tell you," said she, "that you are to bring all you have to
sell here, and the next time please go to the kitchen door."

"Must be fond of mushrooms," said the disgruntled Harvester.

"They are a great delicacy, and there are visitors." The Harvester ached
to set the girl to one side and walk through the house, but he did not
dare; so he returned to the street, whistled to Betsy to come, and went
to the next gate. Here he hesitated. Should he risk further snubbing at
the front door or go back at once. If he did, he only would see a maid.
As he stood an instant debating, the door of the house he just had
left opened and the girl ran after him. "If you have more, we will take
them," she called.

The Harvester gasped for breath.

"They have to be used at once," he suggested.

"She knows that. She wants to treat her friends."

"Well