ion, and he could actually see old Mrs. Dexter
coming in with her basket, sniffing like a pointer dog. Nort had given
him something brand new in a humdrum world--and funny. In the country
there is always such a consuming and ungratified need of something to
laugh at. Any one who can make the country laugh can have his way with
it.

Nort saw that he was winning, and pursued his advantage closely. He
explained with perfect assurance his plan of publishing what he called
the "Hempfield Gallery of Business Success," a portrait with each
advertisement; and, having already opened Mr. Graham's imagination just
a crack, was able now to enter with his larger plans. Having got a
tentative promise to try this extraordinary innovation, and innovations
were like earthquakes in Hempfield, Nort rushed over to see Mr. Tole,
the druggist, and using Mr. Graham as an opening wedge, got Mr. Tole to
the point of saying, "I'll see." Then he went into Henderson's drygoods
store and, using the promises of both Mr. Graham and Mr. Tole, worked
Mr. Henderson into what might be called a state of reluctant
preparedness. Every time he got a new man he went back to all the others
with the news, until they began to think themselves a part of the
conspiracy--and Mr. Graham afterward considered himself the real
originator of this daring scheme for the uplift of Hempfield.

From the way Nort worked at this scheme, coming back after each assault
to tell us with glee of his experiences, one would have thought he was
having the time of his life, as, indeed, he was. It was still a great
joke to him; and yet I saw his eyes often turn toward Anthy, eagerly
seeking her approval. And Anthy would sit very quiet in her chair,
looking at Nort with level eyes, smiling just a little, and once or
twice after he had turned away, I saw that she still kept her eyes upon
him with a curious, questioning, wistful look. Fergus saw it, too,
always watching silently from the cases.

Well, we launched the "Hempfield Gallery" with tremendous effect. Nort
had not only increased the number of advertisements but had actually
succeeded in getting all the advertisers to pay for making the cuts of
themselves. It was really very effective; and Ed, now that the plan was
launched, was able to sell many extra copies of the paper. As for Nort,
that irrepressible young rapscallion was in the highest of spirits. And
every day when he came down the street he would look in at Mr. Graham's
s