the back of the buggy on some recent occasion, and
had been reprimanded by the doctor. Then these two would commune
subtly and without words concerning their moon, holding themselves
sympathetically as people who had committed similar treasons. On the
other hand, Henry would sometimes choose to absolutely repudiate this
idea, and when Jimmie appeared in his shame would bully him most
virtuously, preaching with assurance the precepts of the doctor's
creed, and pointing out to Jimmie all his abominations. Jimmie did not
discover that this was odious in his comrade. He accepted it and lived
in its shadow with humility, merely trying to conciliate the saintly
Henry with acts of deference. Won by this attitude, Henry would
sometimes allow the child to enjoy the felicity of squeezing the
sponge over a buggy-wheel, even when Jimmie was still gory from
unspeakable deeds.

Whenever Henry dwelt for a time in sackcloth, Jimmie did not patronize
him at all. This was a justice of his age, his condition. He did not
know. Besides, Henry could drive a horse, and Jimmie had a full sense
of this sublimity. Henry personally conducted the moon during the
splendid journeys through the country roads, where farms spread on all
sides, with sheep, cows, and other marvels abounding.

"Hello, Jim!" said Henry, poising his sponge. Water was dripping from
the buggy. Sometimes the horses in the stalls stamped thunderingly on
the pine floor. There was an atmosphere of hay and of harness.

For a minute Jimmie refused to take an interest in anything. He was
very downcast. He could not even feel the wonders of wagon washing.
Henry, while at his work, narrowly observed him.

"Your pop done wallop yer, didn't he?" he said at last.

"No," said Jimmie, defensively; "he didn't."

After this casual remark Henry continued his labor, with a scowl of
occupation. Presently he said: "I done tol' yer many's th' time not to
go a-foolin' an' a-projjeckin' with them flowers. Yer pop don' like it
nohow." As a matter of fact, Henry had never mentioned flowers to the
boy.

Jimmie preserved a gloomy silence, so Henry began to use seductive
wiles in this affair of washing a wagon. It was not until he began to
spin a wheel on the tree, and the sprinkling water flew everywhere,
that the boy was visibly moved. He had been seated on the sill of the
carriage-house door, but at the beginning of this ceremony he arose
and circled towards the buggy, with an interest that