to herself.

That afternoon she took down a glass of jelly from the pantry shelves and
set forth in the line of duty, frowning and rehearsing a presentation
speech as she went. With every step toward the Galway cottage she was
increasingly confused and exasperated with herself for even thinking of a
speech. As she drew near she heard a treble chorus of "ohs!" and "ahs!"
and saw Jack on the porch surrounded by children.

"It's dinosaur foolishness again!" she thought, pungently.

He was in the full fettle of nonsense, his head a little to one side and
lowered, while he looked through his eyebrows at his hearers, measuring
the effect of his words. She thought of that face when he called to
Leddy, "I am going to kill you!" and felt the pulse of inquiry beat over
all that lay in this man's repertory between the two moods.

"Then, counting each one in his big, deep, bass voice, like this," he was
saying, "that funny little dwarf kept dropping oranges out of the tree on
the big giant, who could not wiggle and was squeaking in protest in his
little, old woman's voice. Every orange hit him right on the bridge of
his nose, and he was saying: 'You know I never could bear yellow! It
fusses me so.'"

"He doesn't need any jelly! I am going on!" Mary thought.

Then Jack saw a slim, pliant form hastening by and a brown profile under
hair bare of a hat, with eyes straight ahead. Mary might have been a unit
of marching infantry. The story stopped abruptly.

"Yes--and--and--go on!" cried the children.

Jack held up his hand for silence.

"How do you do?" he called, and she caught in his tone and in her first
glimpse of his face a certain mischievousness, as if he, who missed no
points for idle enjoyment of any situation, had a satisfaction in taking
her by surprise with his greeting. This put her on her mettle with the
quickness of a summons to fence. She was as nonchalant as he.

"And you are doing well, I learn," she answered.

"Oh, come in and hear it, Miss Ewold! It's the best one yet!" cried
Belvedere Smith. "And--and--"

"And--and--" began the chorus.

Mary went to the hedge. She dropped the glass of jelly on the thick
carpet of the privet.

"I have just brought my gift. I'll leave it here. Belvy will bring it
when the story is over. I am glad you are recovering so rapidly."

"And--and--" insisted the chorus.

"You oughtn't to miss this story. It's a regular Jim dandy!"
Belvedere shouted.

"Yes, won't you come