y dear. He's soft-spoke but he's
masterful. He's young, but he's seen a lot. He ain't easy t' rile, but
when he is--my land! He don't say a lot, an' he don't seem t' do much,
an' yet--he don't seem t' starve none. Result--he may be anything!"

"Anything? Ann, dear!"

"Anything!" repeated Mrs. Trapes. "An' havin' studied him good an'
heeded him careful, I now conclood he's jest the thing you need, my
dear."

"Then you like him, Ann--you trust him?"

"I sure do."

"Oh, you dear--dear--dear thing!" And once again Mrs. Trapes was clasped
in those vigorous young arms and kissed with every "dear."

"Though, mind you," said Mrs. Trapes, pushing cup and saucer out of
harm's way, "though, mind you, he's a mystery I ain't found out--yet. D'
ye s'pose he made any money out o' them blessed peanuts--not him! Mrs.
Smalley, as lives down along 'Leventh, she told me as she's seen him
givin' 'em away by the bagful t' all the children down her
way--repeated!"

"How sweet of him!" said Hermione, her red mouth all tender curves.

"Yes, but how did he live? How does he? How will he?"

"I don't know, dear; I only know I would trust him always--always!" And
sitting back, chin in hand, Hermione fell again to happy thought.

"When he give up the nuts," pursued Mrs. Trapes, draining the teapot and
sighing, "he tells me some fool tale of makin' a deal in real estate,
an' I--ha, real estate!" Mrs. Trapes put down the teapot with a jerk.
"A deal in real estate!" she repeated, and thereafter fell to such
unintelligible mutterings as "Record price! Fab'lous! No, it couldn't
be! An' yet--silk socks! 'On an' after above date all tenants soever
residin'--will be re-dooced by fifty per cent!'" Suddenly Mrs. Trapes
sat bolt upright. "My land!" she ejaculated, "oh, dear land o' my
fathers--if sech could be!"

"Why, Ann," exclaimed Hermione, roused from her reverie, "whatever is
the matter?"

"My dear," said Mrs. Trapes, laying gentle hand on Hermione's blooming
cheek, "nothin'--nothin' 't all! I'm jest goin' over in my mind sich
small matters as silk socks an' toothbrushes, that's all."

"But you do mean something--you always do."

"Well--if I do this time, my dear, I'm crazy--but the Bowkers have gone,
mind that! An' him s' fond o' little Hazel!" Here Mrs. Trapes nodded
almost triumphantly.

"The Bowkers? Why, yes--I've been wondering--"

"I guess you know he went t' O'Rourke's an' give that M'Ginnis the
thrashin' of his dirty life?"