f cobbling a ray of comfort to every
soul entering the shack. Sometimes he would insist that the sun shone
brighter than the day before; then again that the clouds had a cooling
effect. But if in the world outside Lafe found no comfort, he always
spoke of to-morrow with a ring of hope in his voice.

Hope for another day was all Lafe had save Peggy, and to him these
two--hope and the woman--were Heaven's choicest gifts. Now Peggy
didn't realize all these things, because the world, with its trials
and vicissitudes, gave her a different aspect of life, and she was not
in even her ordinary good humor this day as she prepared the midday
meal. Her mind was busy with thoughts of the new burden which the
morning had brought.

Generally Lafe consulted her about any problem that presented itself
before him, but, that day, he had taken a young stranger into their
home, and Mrs. Grandoken had used all kinds of arguments to persuade
him to send the girl away. Peggy didn't want another mouth to feed.
She didn't care for any one in the world but Lafe anyway.

When the dinner was on the table, she grimly brought her husband's
wheel chair to the kitchen. Virginia, by the cobbler's invitation,
followed.

"Any money paid in to-day?" asked Peggy gruffly, drawing the cobbler
to his place at the table.

"No," he said, smiling up at her, "but there'll be a lot to-morrow....
Is there some bread for----for Jinnie, too?"

Peggy replied by sticking her fork into a biscuit and pushing it off
on Virginia's plate with her finger.

Virginia acknowledged it with a shy upward glance. Peg's stolid face
and quick, insistent movements filled her with vague discomfort. If
the woman had tempered her harsh, "Take it, kid," with a smile, the
little girl's heart might have ached less.

Lafe nodded to her when his wife left the room for a moment.

"That biscuit's Peg's bite," said he, "so she'll bark a lot the rest
of the day, but don't you mind."

CHAPTER VII

JUST A JEW

When the cobbler was at work again, Virginia, after picking up a few
nails and tacks scattered on the floor, sat down.

"Would you like to hear something about me and Peggy, lassie?" he
inquired, "an' will you take my word for things?"

Jinnie nodded trustfully. She had already grown to love the cobbler,
and her affection grew stronger as she stated:

"There isn't anything you'd tell me, cobbler, I wouldn't believe!"

With slow importance Lafe put down his hammer.