ternoon, and I
must be going in a few minutes now." The fact of the matter was he had
to call her off quick. It seems the Hen hadn't had anything but
_Police Gazettes_ to work on--and while the bits looked all right
jumbled up, being put together they wouldn't have suited nohow at
all.

"Of course I mustn't keep you," said Hart's aunt. "You've been more
than kind, Mr. Charles, to give me so much of your valuable time as it
is. I'm just like a child myself, wanting to play with dissected
pictures that way! But I must say that her making them is a thing for
your wife to be proud of--and I hope you'll tell her so for me."

"I guess we'd better be going now, Aunt Maria," Hart said. "Mr.
Charles has his sermon to write, you know, and I want you to have time
to eat your supper comfortable before we start down to the train."

"I do suppose we must go," said Hart's aunt. "But I hate to, William,
and that's a fact! Just because it's so make-shifty, this is the most
interesting kindergarten I've ever been in. When I get home I shall
really and truly enjoy telling the folks about it. And I know how
pleased they'll be, the same as I am, by finding what earnest-working
men and women can do--out here in this rough country--with so little
to go on but their wits and their own good hearts!"

And then she faced round sudden on Santa Fe and said: "I see you have
your table covered with green, Mr. Charles. What's that for? You've so
many good notions about kindergartens that I'd like to know."

"Well, you see, madam, that green cover is a--it's a sort of--"
Charley went slow for a minute, and then got a-hold of the card he
wanted and put it down as smooth as you please. "That is an invention,
madam," he said, "of my good wife's, too. Out here, where the sun is
so violent, she said we must have a green cover on the table or the
glare would be ruining all our dear little innocent children's eyes.
And it has worked, madam, to a charm! Some of the children who had bad
eyes to start with actually have got well!"

"Well, I do declare!" said Hart's aunt.

"That wife of yours thinks so sensible she just beats all!"

Santa Fe give Hart a look as much as to say he'd got to get his aunt
away somehow--seeing she was liable to break out a'most anywheres, and
he'd stood about all he could stand. Hart allowed what Charley wanted
was reasonable, and he just grabbed her by the arm and begun to lug
her to the door. But she managed to give Santa Fe