f, for she knew the crowd. Things would go with a swing, after
this, and success was, barring accidents, a foregone conclusion.

Through all the clatter and cross-fire of jibes Happy Jack sat, nervous
and distrait, in the seat nearest the door and farthest from Annie
Pilgreen. The pot-bellied stove yawned red-mouthed at him, a scant
three feet away. Someone coming in chilled with the nipping night air
had shoveled in coal with lavish hand, so that the stove door had to be
thrown open as the readiest method of keeping the stove from melting
where it stood. Its body, swelling out corpulently below the iron
belt, glowed red; and Happy Jack's wolf-skin overcoat was beginning to
exhale a rank, animal odor. It never occurred to him that he might
change his seat; he unbuttoned the coat absently and perspired.

He was waiting to see if the schoolma'am said anything about "Under the
Mistletoe" with red fire--and Annie Pilgreen. If she did, Happy Jack
meant to get out of the house with the least possible delay, for he
knew well that no man might face the schoolma'am's direct gaze and
refuse to do her bidding,

So far the Jarley Wax-works held the undivided attention of all save
Happy Jack; to him there were other things more important. Even when
he was informed that he must be the Chinese Giant and stand upon a
coal-oil box for added height, arrayed in one of the big-flowered
calico curtains which Annie Pilgreen said she could bring, he was
apathetic. He would be required to swing his head slowly from side to
side when wound up--very well, it looked easy enough. He would not
have to say a word, and he supposed he might shut his eyes if he felt
like it.

"As for the tableaux"--Happy Jack felt a prickling of the scalp and
measured mentally the distance to the door--"We can arrange them later,
for they will not require any rehearsing. The Wax-works we must get to
work on as soon as possible. How often can you come and rehearse?"

"Every night and all day Sundays," Weary drawled.

Miss Satterly frowned him into good behavior and said twice a week
would do.

Happy Jack slipped out and went home feeling like a reprieved criminal;
he even tried to argue himself into the belief that Weary was only
loading him and didn't mean a word he said. Still, the schoolma'am had
said there would be tableaux, and it was a cinch she would tell Weary
all about it--seeing they were engaged. Weary was the kind that found
out things,