sy chair, Mrs.-- What did you say your
name is?" Mr. Gifford inquired, turning to Sam.

"Turner; Sam J. Turner," returned that gentleman, grinning. "But this
is Miss Stevens."

"No offense meant or taken, I hope," hastily said the old man by way of
apology; "but I do say that Mr. Turner would be lucky if he had such a
pretty wife."

"You have both good taste and good judgment, Mr. Gifford," commented
Sam as airily as he could; then he looked across at Miss Stevens and
laughed aloud, so openly and so ingenuously that, so far from the
laughter giving offense, it seemed, strangely enough, to put Miss
Josephine at her ease, though she still blushed furiously. There was
nothing in that laugh nor in his look but frank, boyish enjoyment of
the joke.

There ensued a crisp and decisive conversation between Mr. Gifford and
Mr. Turner about the details of their contract, and 'Ennery was
presently called in to append to it his painfully precise signature in
vertical writing, Miss Stevens adding hers in a pretty round hand.
Then Hepseba, to bind the bargain, brought in hot apple pie fresh from
the oven, and they became quite a little family party indeed, and very
friendly, 'Ennery sitting in the parlor with them and eating his pie
with a fork.

"I know what Hepseba thinks," said old man Gifford, as he held the door
of the car open for them. "She thinks you're a mighty keen young man
that has to be watched in the beginning of a bargain, because you'll
give as little as you can; but that after the bargain's made you don't
need any more watching. But Lord love you, I have to be watched in a
bargain myself. I take everything I can."

As he finished saying this he was closing the door of the car, but
Hepseba called to them to wait, and came puffing out of the house with
a little bundle wrapped in a newspaper.

"I brought this out for your wife," she said to Mr. Turner, and handed
it to Miss Josephine. "It's some geranium slips. Everybody says I got
the very finest geraniums in the bottoms here."

"Goodness, Hepseba," exclaimed old man Gifford, highly delighted; "that
ain't his wife. That's Miss Stevens. I made the same mistake," and he
hawhawed in keen enjoyment.

Hepseba was so evidently overcome with mortification, however, and her
huge round face turned so painfully red, that Miss Stevens lost
entirely any embarrassment she might otherwise have felt.

"It doesn't matter at all, I assure you, Mrs. Gifford," she s