back
to him. "You know pretty well I do things when I say I'll do 'em--and
this thing'll be done! Come to think of it," he said, "maybe it'll be
better if I go to your place and fetch her along myself. It'll help if
I do a little talking to her on the way down. Yes, we'll fix it that
way. You and she be ready at four o'clock, and I'll come for you.
That'll give her an hour here, and an hour to go home and eat her
supper--and that'll get us to train-time, and then the circus'll close
down. Now you go home and go to bed, Bill. You're all beat out. Just
you leave things to Ike and me and go right home."

Charley wouldn't say another word--so Hart had one more drink, for
luck, and then he went home. He looked real relieved.

When Santa Fe went to Hart's place, next afternoon, he had on his best
black clothes, with a clean shirt and a fresh white tie; and he was
that serious-looking you'd have sized him up for a sure-enough
fire-escape anywhere on sight. Hart hadn't had no trouble, it turned
out, keeping his aunt to home--she'd been working double tides ever
since she got up, he said, making him things to eat and fussing over
his clothes. They was all ready when Santa Fe come along, and the
three of 'em stepped off down the track together--Hart having his aunt
on his arm, and Santa Fe walking on ahead over the ties. Most of the
boys was standing about watching the procession; but the girls--the
Hen, likely, having told 'em to--was keeping on keeping quiet, and got
what they could of it peeping through chinks in the windows and
doors.

"Why, where _are_ all the ladies, Mr. Charles?" Hart's aunt asked.
"Except that sweet young wife of yours, it's just the mortal truth I
haven't seen a single lady since I came into this town!"

"They usually keep in-doors at this time of day, madam," Charley said.
"They're attending to their domestic duties--and--and most of them,
about now, are wont to be enjoying the tenderest happiness of
motherhood in nursing their little babes."

"It's very creditable they're such good housewives, I'm sure," said
Hart's aunt; "only I do wish I could have met some of 'em and had a
good dish of talk. But we'll be finding your wife at the kindergarten,
I s'pose, and I'll have the pleasure of a talk with her. I've been
looking forward all day to meeting her, Mr. Charles. She has one of
the very sweetest faces I ever saw."

"I deeply regret to tell you, madam," said Santa Fe, "that my wife was
called aw