e air. She hoped that they would bring a smile to him at
noon, for he could still afford petunias.

She was squatting by the colony aligned along the walk, and her big
sunbonnet hid her unbeautiful face from the passers-by and theirs from
her, when she caught a glimpse of Luella Thickins coming along, giggling
with the banker's son. Luella put on a little extra steam for the
benefit of Ellaphine, who was glad of her sunbonnet and did not look up.

Later there came a quick step, thumping the boardwalk in a rhythm she
would have recognized but for its allegrity. The gate was opened with a
sweep that brought a shriek from its old rheumatic hinge, and was
permitted to swing shut with an unheeded smack. Ellaphine feared it was
somebody coming with the haste that bad news inspires. Something awful
had happened to Eddie! Her knees could not lift her to face the evil
tidings. She dared not turn her head.

Then she heard Eddie's own voice: "Pheeny! Pheeny, honey! Everything's
all right!"

Pheeny spilled the petunias and sat down on them. Eddie lifted her up
and pushed his glowing face deep into her sunbonnet, and kissed her.

Luella Thickins was coming back and her giggling stopped. She and the
banker's son, who were just sauntering about, exchanged glances of
disgust at the indecorous proceeding. Later Luella resumed her giggle
and enjoyed hugely her comment:

"Ellar looks fine in a sunbonnet! The bigger it is, the better she
looks."

VII

Meantime Eddie was supporting his Pheeny into the house. His path was
strewn with petunias and she supposed he had some great victory to
announce. He had; but he was the victim.

The conqueror was the superintendent of the factory, Jabez Pittinger,
who had survived a cycle of Uncle Loren's martinetism with less
resentment than a year of Eddie's lenience. But Eddie is telling
Ellaphine of his glorious achievement:

"You see, I went to the fact'ry feeling like I was goin' to my grave."

"I know," she said; "but what happened?"

"I just thought I'd rather die than tack up the notice that we were
going to shut down and turn off those poor folks and all."

"I know," said Ellaphine; "but tell me."

"Well, finally," Eddie plodded along, "I tried to draw up the
'nouncement with the markin'-brush; but I just couldn't make the
letters. So I called in Jabe Pittinger and told him how it was; and I
says to him: 'Jabe, I jest naturally can't do it m'self. I wisht you'd
send the word rou