hem here never saw green fields before today."

Mr. Smiles listened and beamed and twinkled until Miss Cordelia felt
almost as dazzled as if she were looking at the sun.

"Look here, ma'am, I like this plan of yours and I want to have a hand
in helping it along. Bring your loads of children out here every
Saturday, right here to Beechwood Farm, and turn them loose in my
beech woods and upland pastures. I'll put up some swings for them and
have some games, and I'll provide the refreshments also. Trouble,
ma'am? No, trouble and I ain't on speaking terms. It'll be a pleasure,
ma'am. I'm fond of children even if I am a grumpy cross-grained old
bachelor. If you can give up your own holiday to give them a good
time, surely I can do something too."

When Miss Cordelia and her brood of tired, happy little lads and
lasses ambled back to town in the golden dusk she felt that the
expedition had been an emphatic success. Even old Nap seemed to jog
along eye-deep in satisfaction. Probably he was ruminating on the
glorious afternoon he had spent in Mr. Smiles's clover pasture.

Every fine Saturday that summer Miss Cordelia took some of the factory
children to the country. The Point Pleasant people nicknamed her
equipage "Miss Cordelia's accommodation," and it became a mild
standing joke.

As for Mr. Smiles, he proved a valuable assistant. Like Miss Cordelia,
he gave his Saturdays over to the children, and high weekly revel was
held at Beechwood Farm.

But when the big bronze and golden leaves began to fall in the beech
woods, Miss Cordelia sorrowfully realized that the summer was over and
that the weekly outings which she had enjoyed as much as the children
must soon be discontinued.

"I feel so sorry," she told Mr. Smiles, "but it can't be helped. It
will soon be too cold for our jaunts and of course I can't keep Nap
through the winter. I hate to part with him, I've grown so fond of
him, but I must."

She looked regretfully at Nap, who was nibbling Mr. Smiles's clover
aftermath. He was sleek and glossy. It had been the golden summer of
Nap's life.

Mr. Smiles coughed in an embarrassed fashion. Miss Cordelia looked at
him and was amazed to see that not a smile was on or about his face.
He looked absurdly serious.

"I want to buy Nap," he said in a sepulchral tone, "but that is not
the only thing I want. I want you too, ma'am. I'm tired of being a
cross old bachelor. I think I'd like to be a cross old husband, for a
chan