with genuine hospitality: "Come right into the house and rest
yourself. Pa and Buddy'll be home at dinner time." By now a fuller
significance of this stranger's presence had struck home and she
laughed softly as she led the way toward the dwelling. "Di'mon's for
Allie and me, eh? Land sakes! Pa's up to something new every day,
lately. I wonder what next."

As Gray stepped aside for the younger woman to precede him, his
curiosity must have been patent, for Allegheny became even more
self-conscious than before, and her face flamed a fiery red. As yet she
had not spoken.

There were three rooms to the Briskow residence, bedrooms all, with a
semi-detached, ramshackle, whitewashed kitchen at the rear and
separated from the main house by a narrow "gallery." Into the front
chamber, which evidently did service also as a parlor, Mrs. Briskow led
the way. By now she was in quite a flutter of excitement. For the guest
she drew forth the one rocking chair, a patent contraption, the rockers
of which were held upon a sort of track by stout spiral springs. Its
seat and back were of cheap carpet material stretched over a lacquered
frame, and these she hastily dusted with her apron; then she seated
herself upon the edge of the bed and beamed expectantly.

Allegheny had carelessly brushed back her sunbonnet, exposing a mane of
damp, straight, brown hair of a quantity and length to match her
tremendous vigor of limb; but she remained standing at the foot of the
bed, too ill at ease to take a chair or perhaps too agitated to see
one. She was staring straight ahead, her eyes fixed a foot or two over
the caller's head.

Gray ignored her manifest embarrassment, made a gingerly acquaintance
with the chair of honor, and then devoted his attention to the elder
woman. At every move the coiled springs under him strained and snapped
alarmingly.

"We don't often see jewelry peddlers," the mother announced; "but,
sakes alive! things is changin' so fast we get a new surprise most
every day. I s'pose you got those rings in that valise?" She indicated
Gray's stout leather sample case.

"Precisely," said he. "If you have time I'd like to show them to you."

Mrs. Briskow's bent figure stirred, she uttered a throaty chuckle, and
her weary face, lined with the marks of toil and hardship, flushed
faintly. Her misshapen hands tightly clasped themselves and her faded
eyes began to sparkle. Gray felt a warm thrill of compassion at the
agitation of this