hurt. Dad was so astonished when he heard
about that, he said the man ought to be 'framed and put on exhibition,
as the only case of his kind on record.' Then he suggested this way of
earning his living. He has the 'boys' keep him fixed up in a little sort
of stand just yonder and they see to it that his stock never fails. The
cripple's as proud as Punch. Boasts that any honest man can do well in
America if he tries. He hasn't any legs left and his arms aren't worth
much but his spirit is the bravest ever. It would break his heart if he
guessed that most of the stuff he sells is bought for my father by some
of his employees, all on the sly. But he'll never know it. That's the
best of Dad! His 'boys' love him. They think he's just rippin'! And he
is. Look now. See how that man's face lights up when he hears that
'Halloo'!"

Dorothy stopped short to exclaim:

"Bought the stuff and gave us most of it, and now will buy it over again
just to throw away! I never heard anything like that!"

"Reckon you didn't, for there is only one Dan Ford! But he doesn't have
it thrown away. He has it burned. He says, 'Burned toads tell no tales,'
and the worst trouble the boys have is to get folks enough to buy the
things for them. When they see a likely lookin' tourist edging around
the stand they use him, if they can. If they can't it's a 'short day'
for Cripple Andy, but that doesn't worry him. 'The fat and the lean,' he
calls it. Oh! I say, he's almost as rippin' as Dad himself, he's so
plucky!"

The cripple's face did indeed light up as Mr. Ford appeared before him
and shouted that gay "Halloo!"

"Well, well, well! If you ain't the best sight I've had since I saw you
last. Halloo, yourself and see how you like it!" With this attempt at
facetiousness, the seller of notions leaned forward over his stand and
extended his best hand toward his benefactor.

"How's business, Andy?"

"Tollable, sir, fairly tollable. Been sellin' a lot o' truck, lately, to
some Cookies, and there was a reduction-school-ma'am-racket that nigh
cleaned me out. See that your man Jed here has got a heap more things.
How'd he come by them? Must ha' cleared the country of rep_tiles_,
judgin' by them samples."

"Oh, he came by them fairly enough, Andy. These youngsters couldn't live
without the things when they first saw them, but now they'll be grateful
if you'll take them off their hands. Maybe you can make something from
them, maybe not. In any case they'