nd yet he was in
reality wholly occupied with the child prattling away at his side--with
his fortune, and his business prospects of thirty years hence.

Under the maples the sun slanted low and golden and mote-laden. Bobby
suddenly felt a little tired, and more than a little hungry. He
descended from the buggy with alacrity. The wetting was forgotten in the
home-coming. Only when washing for dinner did he remember with certain
self-felicitation that even his mother had noticed nothing. For the
first time it occurred to him that his parents were not
omniscient:--that was the evil of the afternoon's experiences. For the
first time also it occurred to him that he possessed the ability to meet
an emergency without their aid:--that was the good of it. And the good
far outweighed the evil.

That night Bobby called upon the Lord to bless those dear to him, as
usual; but he offered on his own account an addendum.

"And make Bobby grow up a big man like Jimmy Powers."

II

THE PICNIC

One Saturday, shortly after, everybody was early afoot in preparation
for a picnic up the River. Bobby had on clean starched brown linen
things, and his hair was parted on one side and very smoothly brushed
across his forehead. His mother had been somewhat inclined to the dark
green velvet suit with the lace collar, but to his great relief his
father had intervened.

"Give the boy a chance," said he, "He'll want to eat peaches and go down
in the engine room, and perhaps catch sunfish."

At the wharf, built along the front of the river at the foot of Main
Street, they could see, when they turned the corner at the engine-house,
the single sturdy stack of the _Robert O_ pouring forth a cloud of gray
smoke, while in front of it fluttered the white of the women's dresses.

"We're going to be late," danced Bobby.

"I guess they'll wait for us," replied Mr. Orde easily. "They know
what's in this," he smiled, patting the hamper he was carrying.

At the wharf they were greeted by a chorus of exclamations from a large
group of people. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were there, the latter sweet and
dainty in one of the very latest creations in muslin; Mr. and Mrs.
Fuller with Tad and Clifford; young Mr. Carlin from the bank; Mr. and
Mrs. Proctor, and their young-lady daughter wearing a marvellous
"waterfall"; Angus McMullen, alone, his father detained professionally;
Mrs. Cathcart and Georgie; young Bradford carrying his banjo, his
wonderful raimen