glad to strike Georgia grit in my life. I
feel like a old soldier back from war. As I drove over and saw the sun
in its bed of yellow behind the mountains I felt like I was flying
through space. This country is good enough for me, and I'll prove it by
sticking to it in the future. Where's Hettie? But, first of all, I want
to see that baby. Trot him out--bless his soul!--trot him out."

Profound astonishment showed itself in every face. Only old Jason seemed
capable of rising to the situation. For barely an instant he floundered,
and then his small eyes began to twinkle, his voice held a rippling,
unctuous quality as he laid his hand on Henley's arm.

"Oh, you mean _little_ Alf," he faltered. "Why, he's--he's in thar
asleep on the bed. We-uns--the last one of us--'lowed you'd raise big
objections. You always seemed to have mighty little use for anything o'
the sort."

"Huh!" Henley grunted, an honest flush spreading over his face. "That's
another matter altogether. There are babies and babies in this world.
This one's got different blood in 'im--this one's _mine_! If I've made
light o' having little tots, I wasn't talking about _him_, for he hadn't
come. Where is he? Let me see 'im. I won't wake 'im. I'll walk easy, an'
not say a word."

"Well, step this way." Wrinkle cast a bubbling glance of warning at Mrs.
Allen, who had risen resentfully, and motioned her back into her chair,
and, with a comical strut, he led Henley into the room occupied by the
child's parents. Near the door, in the dim light of a sputtering
tallow-dip, on a tiny bed lay the sleeping infant. Wrinkle, choking down
his amusement, took the candle from the mantelpiece and held it over the
little face. "You can't see the favor so plain while its eyes are shet,"
he chuckled, "but when it grins an' winks it's you to a gnat's heel."

"Gewhilikins, ain't he a corker!" Henley said, worshipfully, under his
breath, as he leaned over the bed.

"I wouldn't wake 'im now." Mrs. Allen stood in the doorway, quite erect
and cold in her bearing, and there was no one but the deluded man who
failed to detect her frigid tone of offended ownership. "This is his
sleepin'-time; if he wakes now he'll fret all night, an' Mr. Allen has
to git his rest or he can't git up early an' do his work."

"I see," said Henley, politely. "I heard Hettie had taken some boarders.
I know she'd hate to have the little thing keep anybody awake."

"Sh! not yit, for the Lord's sake, not