ht, Uncle Jed?" she cried.

"Ye-es, yes. I was kind of extra absent-minded yesterday and I
thought I wound the clock, but I couldn't have done that 'cause the
clock's stopped. Yet I know I wound somethin' and it's just as
liable to have been my head as anything else. You listen just back
of my starboard ear there and see if I'm tickin' reg'lar."

The balance of the conversation between the two was of a distinctly
personal nature.

"You see, Uncle Jed," said Barbara, as she jumped from his knee
preparatory to running off to school, "I don't like you to do
eccen-tricks and not talk to me. I don't like it at all and
neither does Petunia. You won't do any more--not for so long at a
time, will you, Uncle Jed?"

Jed sighed. "I'll try not to," he said, soberly.

She nodded. "Of course," she observed, "we shan't mind you doing a
few, because you can't help that. But you mustn't sit still and
not pay attention when we talk for ever and ever so long. I--I
don't know precactly what I and Petunia would do if you wouldn't
talk to us, Uncle Jed."

"Don't, eh? Humph! I presume likely you'd get along pretty well.
I ain't much account."

Barbara looked at him in horrified surprise.

"Oh, Uncle Jed!" she cried, "you mustn't talk so! You MUSTN'T!
Why--why, you're the bestest man there is. And there isn't anybody
in Orham can make windmills the way you can. I asked Teacher if
there was and she said no. So there! And you're a GREAT
cons'lation to all our family," she added, solemnly. "We just
couldn't ever--EVER do without you."

When the child went Jed did not take the trouble to lock the door
after her; consequently his next callers entered without difficulty
and came directly to the inner shop. Jed, once more absorbed in
gloomy musings--not quite as gloomy, perhaps; somehow the clouds
had not descended quite so heavily upon his soul since Babbie's
visit--looked up to see there standing behind him Maud Hunniwell
and Charlie Phillips.

He sprang to his feet. "Eh?" he cried, delightedly. "Well, well,
so you're back, Charlie, safe and sound. Well, well!"

Phillips grasped the hand which Jed had extended and shook it
heartily.

"Yes, I'm back," he said.

"Um-hm. . . . And--er--how did you leave Uncle Sam? Old feller's
pretty busy these days, 'cordin' to the papers."

"Yes, I imagine he is."

"Um-hm. . . . Well, did you--er--make him happy? Give his army
the one thing needful to make it--er--perfe