anna, "if you want to get into
the garden at all."

Suzanna threaded the needle, then removed her slipper. "I'll overcast
the ribbon, like mother does seams," she said. "Will you hold the
slipper? There, that's easier. You see I need both hands."

Silence, till the work was finished. "Now," said Suzanna, stopping to
bite the thread, no scissors being at hand, "I guess no toe in the world
could push through that, I've stitched so tight. You think it will hold,
don't you?"

[Illustration: Very carefully he looked at the mended place]

Very carefully he looked at the mended place. "I should say, if my
judgment's worth anything, that it's a very decent job. But see here,
you've taken up such a large seam; the shoe will be too small again."

Suzanna smiled at him. "Oh, that doesn't matter, just so the toes can't
burst through again," she answered. "You don't mind hobbling a little
bit when you have to."

He cleared his throat. "Well, I'll call the housekeeper and she'll take
you to the other children."

"Good-bye," said Suzanna friendlily. And then very politely, "Thank you
for helping me."

"Well, I suppose I might say you're welcome."

But he watched the small figure, that did after all "hobble" a little
all the way down the room as the summoned housekeeper led the way.
And, left alone, he sat quite still for a few moments. Once or twice he
smiled grimly, but several times he frowned.

* * * * *

Suzanna was full of her experience with the Eagle Man, and in spite of
her mishap she had greatly enjoyed her day. Hadn't the fierce one, the
one of the loud voice and cross face, been kind to her and helped her to
mend her slipper? And hadn't he told the housekeeper to give her a great
bunch of the purple grapes especially procured from the city for him,
she was told?

She thought of all this when she and Maizie left the low phaeton in
which they had been driven home. For some indefinable reason she was
elated, and excited--an emotion far above the usual happy fatigue felt
after a day of pleasure. She meant to tell her father and mother all
about her talk with the Eagle Man when the supper dishes were washed and
put away. She would show her father just how her toes had thrust
themselves through her slipper and how she had sat upon her foot till it
went to sleep. Not, however, till the setting was right would she tell
her story. Suzanna's unconscious dramatic sense rarely failed her.