rushed to the door and looked
out, to control her feelings.

Theodora then drew near the Old Squire's side and whispered, "Think of
the War, Grandpa."

The War was then a topic of such terrible sadness for us that the
mention of it, ordinarily, was sufficient to unloose the most poignant
recollections. To grandfather, as to us all, it had brought a sable
cloud of bereavement. But even thoughts of the War did not now long
suffice to remove that grin--longer than till the Old Squire saw
Lockett's hand raised. Then out jumped the all too "smilin' expression"
again.

Gram went out of doors altogether and walked along the sidewalk, in
mortification and despite; her feelings were much outraged.

Lockett now essayed to turn the conversation upon a current political
topic, namely the nomination of General Grant for the Presidency; and it
seemed as if the grin was at last exorcised. Yet when the artist
attempted covertly to remove the cap, a hundred puckers gathered about
Gramp's eyes again, his chin twitched, and even there were wrinkles on
his nose.

With that, Lockett himself walked to the door for a time. Gram now
returned, her face very red, and stalking in, surveyed the offender with
a look of hard exasperation. "My senses, Joseph, you are the most
provoking man I ever set my two eyes on. I do declare you are!"

Lockett returned to his place by the camera, looking somewhat bored.
"Well, shall we try again?" said he.

"If he don't keep his face straight now, I'll know the reason!" Gram
chimed in.

Yet quite the same when Lockett lifted his hand, after an awful pause,
every furrow and pucker reappeared.

"Oh, there!" Gram exclaimed almost in tears, so vexed she had grown.
"Take him. Take him, just as he is, the old Chessy-cat!" and again she
rushed away to the door and snatched out her pocket handkerchief.

Then Addison, who had sat and laughed till he had laughed himself tired
and sober, came to the rescue, with a stroke of genius. Nodding covertly
to Lockett, he approached the Old Squire from behind, and in a tone, as
intended only for his private ear, murmured, "Say, Gramp, d'ye know this
Lockett charges six dollars an hour for his time!"

The old gentleman's face suddenly straightened as his ear caught the
words, and a look of dignified indignation and incredulity overspread
his countenance, observing which the artist removed the cap and the
likeness was taken. What the thoughts of death and War failed to