t the whole country
loves her. She is a saint, Madam, that the good Lord only allows to live
in this world because if she was transferred there would be no standard
left."

"Yes, but then you had considerable cause. The hired girl next door--she
sat next to my daughter--said she didn't blame you a mite." (Somebody
was on my side, anyhow.) "Now come in to supper."

The next morning I was up at dawn: I had to get up at dawn because the
omnibus made only one trip to the station, to catch the seven-o'clock
train. I went by the eight-ten, but a little thing like that never makes
any difference in Sheffield.

When the omnibus arrived it came on runners. Closer examination from the
window of the cosey room--the bedroom was even more delightful--revealed
a square furniture van covered on the outside with white canvas, the
door being in the middle, like a box-car. I bade the dear old lady and
her daughter good-by, opened the hall door and stood on the top step.
The driver, a stout, fat-faced fellow, looked up with an inquiring
glance.

"Nice morning," I cried in my customary cheerful tone--the dear woman
had wrought the change.

"You bet! Got over your mad?"

The explosion had evidently been heard all over the village.

"Yes," I laughed, as I crawled in beside two other passengers.

"You was considerable het up last night, so Si was tellin' me," remarked
the passenger, helping me with one bag.

I nodded. Who Si might be was not of special interest, and then again
the subject had now lost its inflammatory feature.

The woman made no remark; she was evidently one of the secretaries.

"Well, by gum, if they had left me where they left you last night, and
you a plumb stranger, I'd rared and pitched a little myself," continued
the man. "When you come again--"

"Come again! Not by a--"

"Oh, yes, you will. You did them Hard-shells a lot of good! You just bet
your bottom dollar they'll look out for the next one of you fellows that
comes up here!"

The woman continued silent. She would have something to say about any
return visit of mine, and she intended to say it out loud if the time
ever came!

The station now loomed into sight. I sprang out and tried the knob. I
knew all about that knob--every twist and turn of it.

"Locked again!" I shouted, "and I've got to wait here an hour in this--"

"Hold on--_hold on_--" shouted back the driver. "Don't break loose
again. I got the key."

My mail a week later brought me