which had been
put upon him: whatever the case, he went his way in-doors, leaving the
cynic's offer unacknowledged. Eskew sank back upon the bench, with the
little rusty sounds, suggestions of creaks and sighs, which accompany
the movement of antiques. "I've always thought," he said, "that the
Judge had spells when he was hard of hearing."

Oblongs of light abruptly dropped from the windows confronting them,
one, falling across the bench, appropriately touching with lemon the
acrid, withered face and trembling hands of the veteran. "You are
younger than you were nine years ago, Mr. Arp," said Ariel, gayly. "I
caught a glimpse of you upon the street, to-day, and I thought so then.
Now I see that I was right."

"Me--YOUNGER!" he groaned. "No, ma'am! I'm mighty near through with
this fool world--and I'd be glad of it, if I didn't expect that if
there IS another one afterwards, it would be jest as ornery!"

She laughed, leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knee, and her
chin in her hand, so that the shadow of her hat shielded her eyes from
the light. "I thought you looked surprised when you saw me to day."

"I reckon I did!" he exclaimed. "Who wouldn't of been?"

"Why?"

"Why?" he repeated, confounded by her simplicity. "Why?"

"Yes," she laughed. "That's what I'm anxious to know."

"Wasn't the whole town the same way?" he demanded. "Did you meet
anybody that didn't look surprised?"

"But why should they?"

"Good Lord Admighty!" he broke out. "Ain't you got any
lookin'-glasses?"

"I think almost all I have are still in the customs warehouse."

"Then use Mamie Pike's," responded the old man. "The town never
dreamed you were goin' to turn out pretty at all, let alone the WAY
you've turned out pretty! The Tocsin had a good deal about your looks
and so forth in it once, in a letter from Paris, but the folks that
remembered you kind of set that down to the way papers talk about
anybody with money, and nobody was prepared for it when they saw you.
You don't need to drop no curtseys to ME." He set his mouth grimly, in
response to the bow she made him. "_I_ think female beauty is like all
other human furbelows, and as holler as heaven will be if only the good
people are let in! But yet I did stop to look at you when you went
past me to-day, and I kept on lookin', long as you were in sight. I
reckon I always will, when I git the chance, too--only shows what human
nature IS! But that wasn't all