s chokingly about her neck;
they petted and caressed, and besought her not to cry; they bewailed
their own shortcomings, and made unconditional promises of perfection
in the future. And even Tim sidled up, and volunteered a vague hint
concerning contemplated reformation.

So Hannah dried her tears, and lighting a lamp, fetched more
gingerbread and raspberry vinegar from the cellar, and they all
repaired to the parlor to celebrate the family reunion. They were in
the midst of the feast when there came a stealthy movement at the back
door, and Jake crept sheepishly in, leading Joey by the hand. He
looked at his wife with an expression of mingled contrition and
frightened inquiry. Hannah beamed back perfect forgiveness and
assurance, and in his overwhelming relief Jake caught up the twins and
swung them over his head. The whole family immediately gave itself up
to riot, and when the Duke of Wellington and Mrs. Winters came over to
see if the orphans had been properly subdued they found the
undisciplined household, Hannah included, engaged in a glorious game of
blind man's buff. Even while the two officers of the law were peeping
through the kitchen window, Jake upset the water-pail, and the twins
broke a glass pitcher, all unheeded.

Mrs. Winters and the Duke turned, and marched indignantly homeward.

"Well!" exclaimed the exasperated village manager, as she stumbled
through the Sawyers' lumpy garden, "what we've got to do 'fore we can
raise them orphants, is to raise them two old fools they've got for a
father and mother, and I guess it's about fifty years too late!"

Not till the still unchastened orphans were in bed and asleep did Jake
again broach the subject of corporal punishment. For some time he
walked up and down the kitchen, scratching his head, as he always did
when worrying out a mental problem.

At length he gave a sigh of satisfaction, and paused before the table
where Hannah sat mending Tim's riven trousers.

"We ain't a-goin' to try that Winters dodge no more, Hannah," he
announced firmly, "an' that's all about it."

Hannah looked up joyfully. "Oh, Jake, I'm awful glad! I couldn't do
it--I jist couldn't!"

"Of course you couldn't," he cried sympathetically, "An', what's more,
you don't have to try any more. We'll do our best by them kids other
ways, an' the good Lord'll see they don't turn out bad. But there's
one thing dead sure, an' you can tell Susan Winters, and the Dook,
too--I ain