he safe to 'em," she added, "and ef that don't do, the Floridy
water is in on my bureau."

When finally Enoch presented himself, ready for his fate, she was able
to set the mush pudding, done to a fine brown, before him, and her tone
was really tender as she said:

"This ain't very hearty ef you're hungry; but you can eat it all. There
ain't no interference in it with anything you've took."

The pudding was one of Enoch's favorite dishes, but as he broke its
brown surface with his spoon he felt like a hypocrite. He took one long
breath, and then he blurted:

"By-the-way, wife, this reminds me, I reckon you'll haf to fetch me
another o' them pills. I dropped that one out in the grass--that is, ef
you think I still stand in need of it. I feel consider'ble better'n I
did when I come in this evenin'."

The good woman eyed him suspiciously a minute. Then her eyes fell upon
the words "ABOVE RUBIES" lying upon the table. Reaching over, she lifted
the pudding-bowl aside, took the dish of fried chicken from its
sub-station, and set it before her lord.

"Better save that pudd'n' for dessert, honey, an' help yo'self to some
o' that chicken, an' take a potater an' a roll, and eat a couple o' them
spring onions--they're the first we've had. Sence you're a-feelin'
better, maybe it's jest ez well thet you mislaid that pill."

* * * *

The wind blows sometimes from the east in Simkinsville, as elsewhere,
and there are still occasional days when the deacon betakes himself to
the front gate and sits like a nineteenth-century Simon Stilites on his
pillar, contemplating the open palm of his own hand, while he enriches
Mrs. Frequent's _repertoire_ of gossip by a picturesque item.

But the reverse of the picture has much of joy in it; for, in spite of
her various tempers, Grandmother Gregg is a warm-hearted soul--and she
loves her man. And he loves her.

Listen to him to-night, for instance, as, having finished his supper, he
remarks:

"An' I'm a-goin' to see to it, from this on, thet you ain't fretted with
things ez you've been, ef I can help it, wife. Sometimes, the way I act,
I seem like ez ef I forgit you're all I've got--on earth."

"Of co'se I reelize that, Enoch," she replies. "We're each one all the
other's got--an' that's why I don't spare no pains to keep you in
health."

TWO GENTLEMEN OF LEISURE

One could see at a glance that they were gentlemen as they strolle