as they had enjoyed themselves real well in the cellar. Ma was mortified
most to death, but the delegate told her it was all right. She was mad
at Pa, first, but when she saw the broken slop bowl on the front steps,
and the potted plants in the hall, she wanted to kill Pa, and I guess
she would only for the society of the delegates. She couldn't help
telling Pa he was a bald headed old fool but Pa didn't retaliate--he is
too much of a gentleman to talk back in company. All he said was that a
woman who is old enough to have delegates sawed off on to her ought to
have sense enough to tell her husband, and then they all drifted
off into conversation about the convention and the boxing match, and
everything was all right on the surface; but after breakfast, when the
delegates went to the convention, I noticed Pa went right down town and
bought a new slop-jar and some more plants. Pa and Ma didn't speak all
the forenoon, and I guess they wouldn't up to this time only Ma's bonnet
came home from the milliner's and she had to have some money to pay
for it. Then she called Pa 'pet,' and that settled it. When Ma calls
Pa 'pet,' that is twenty-five dollars. 'Dear, old darling,' means fifty
dollars. But, say, those christian young men do a heap of good, don't
they. Their presence seems to make people better. Some boys down by the
store were going to tie a can on a dog's tail, yesterday, and somebody
said 'here comes the Christian Association,' and those bad boys let the
dog go. They tried to find the dog after the crowd had got by, but the
dog knew his business. Well, I must go down and charge the soda fountain
for a picnic that is expected from the country."

"Hold on a minute," said the grocery man as he wound a piece of brown
paper around a cob and stuck it in a syrup jug he had just filled for
a customer, and then licked his fingers. "I want to ask you a question.
What has caused you to change so from being bad. You were about as bad
as they make 'em, up to a few weeks ago, and now you seem to have a
soul, and get in your work doing good about as well as any boy in town.
What is it that ails you?"

"O, sugar, I don't want to tell," said the boy, as he blushed and
wiggled around on one foot, and looked silly; "but if you won't laugh,
I will tell you. It is my girl that has made me good. It may be only
temporary. If she goes back on me I may be tuff again; but if she
continues to hold out faithful I shall be a daisy all the tim