and.

"Jest wait till I has my little say, boys. Now, at fust I was kinder
riled that a passel o' boys shud 'a' took me to task on account o' my
way o' lettin' things run loose like at my place. But I gotter thinkin'
her over, and by hokey if it didn't jest come home to me. Times was when
my dooryard was the puttiest around all Stanhope, with the flowers
abloomin', an' every scrap tidied up; but in them happy days Mandy an'
the kids was there, ye see; an' sense they was took it 'peared like I
never cared what things looked like; an' that's a fact, boys."

The old man seemed to swallow something that threatened to choke him; and
then, while the boys hung on his every word, and wondered how they had
ever come to misunderstand him as they had, he went on:

"But I kim to the conclusion, arter thet kind visit ye paid me, thet I
owed a duty to the community, and it warn't right for any citizen to let
his place look disgraceful. So arter this nobody ain't agoin' to be
ashamed to pass by the yard where Mandy 'tended the rose bushes, and her
tots played from morn to night. I jest drapped in here to thank ye right
hearty boys, for showin' me wot was wantin'. Arter this there ain't never
agoin' to be any trouble between me an' the boys o' Stanhope. They kin
count on old Peleg Growdy to contribute to every sport that goes to
cultivate the mind and body in the right direction!"

He seemed a vastly different man as he stood there and said this, for his
head was thrown back, his eyes flashed, and his face was almost friendly
in its expression, the old haggard look having for the time being
disappeared.

"Again I say, three cheers for Mr. Growdy!" called Joe Clausin.

"Wait a bit, fellers. I got somethin' more to say," pleaded the old man,
once again lifting his hand to still the rising tumult.

Paul smiled, for he could give a pretty shrewd guess as to what was
coming; and it certainly did him good to realize how their odd little
scheme was turning out to be such a glorious success.

Every voice was hushed, and once more the throng waited for the farmer to
explain.

"I've been ahearin' a good lot about wot ye're all adoin' with this Boy
Scout business. Kinder got me interested, an' I borried some books o' the
dominie jest so I could understand wot 'twas all about. An' I want to say
I like the ijee fust rate. If I hed any boys o' my own," and his voice
faltered right there, "I'd sure encourage 'em to jine in with ye. Seein'
a