n a twig and sang to them as they passed. The
little throat throbbed and pulsated with eager melody.

Old Tilly listened to the song to its close, then swung round suddenly.
His face was like father's when he got up from his knees at family
prayers.

"That bird seems singing, 'Holy, holy, holy,'" Old Tilly said softly.
"Can't you hear?"

"Yes, I hear," murmured Jot.

The little white house they picked out sat back from the highway in a
nest of lilac bushes. It reminded the boys a very little of home.

"Stop over night? Away from home, be ye? Why, yes, I guess me an' pa
can take you in. One, two--dear land! there's three of ye, ain't there?
Yes, yes, come right in! I couldn't turn three boys away--not three!"

The sweet-faced old woman in the doorway held out both hands
welcomingly. She seemed to get at the history of the three young
knights by some instinctive mind-reading of her own--the boys themselves
said so little. It was the little old lady's sweet voice that ran on
without periods, piecing Old Tilly's brief explanatory words together
skillfully.

"Havin' a holiday, be you? I see. Well, young folks has to have their
outin's. When they git as old as me an' pa, they'll be all innin's!"
she ran on. Suddenly she stooped and surveyed them with a placid
attempt at sternness. "I hope you've all be'n to meetin'?" she cried.

Jot's face twisted oddly.

"Yes," Old Tilly answered, subduedly, "we've been to church."

"I thought so--I thought so. Now come in an' see pa--poor pa' He was
took again yesterday. He's frettin' dretfully about the hay. Pa--"

Her voice went on ahead and heralded their coming. "Here's three boys
come to stop over night with us--three, pa. You're glad there's three
of 'em, ain't you? I knew you'd be. When I'd counted 'em up, I didn't
hesitate any longer! The littlest one looks a little mite like our Joey,
pa--only Joey was handsome," she added innocently.

Kent nudged Jot delightedly. They were entering a quaint, old-fashioned
room, and at the further end on a hair-cloth settle lay a withered
morsel of an old man. His sun-browned face made a shriveled spot of
color against the pillows.

"That's pa," the little old lady said, by way of introduction. "He was
took yesterday, out in the field. It was dretful hot--an' the hay 'most
in, too. He's frettin' because he couldn't 've waited a little mite
longer, ain't you, pa? I tell him if the boys was here--" She broke
off