il your Sunday clothes," panted Mrs. Bolum, when she reached
the floor again. Stepping back, she eyed him critically. "You look
handsomer than a drummer," she cried admiringly.

"Thank you, ma'am," said Tim very meekly.

"I'm so sorry I left my spectacles at home," she went on. "My eyes
ain't as good as they used to be and I can't see you plain as I'd like.
Mebbe it's my sight as is the trouble, but it seems to me, as I see you
now without my glasses, you're just about the prettiest man that ever
come to Six Stars."

"Lord, ma'am," protested Tim. "And how is Mr. Bolum?"

"And such a lovely suit," continued the old woman, cautiously
approaching and moving her hand across my brother's chest. "Why, Tim,
you must have on complete store clothes--dear, oh, dear--to think of
Tim Hope gittin' so fine and dressy! Now had it 'a' been Mark I
wouldn't 'a' been so took back, for he allus was uppy and big feelin'.
But Tim!"

Mrs. Bolum shook her head and held her hands up in astonishment.

"And how is Mr. Bolum?" shouted Tim.

"Never was better, 'ceptin' for his rheumatism and asphmy," was the
answer, but the good woman was not to be turned aside that way. "And a
cady," she cried, for her eyes had caught Tim's hat and the silly
yellow overcoat on the chair where I had thrown them. "A cady, too!
Now just put it on and let me see how you look."

Tim obeyed. Mrs. Bolum stepped hack to get a better effect.

"It ain't as pretty as your coon-skin," she said critically; "you'd
look lovely in that suit with your coon-skin cap--but hold on--don't
take it off--I want Bolum to see you."

She ran from the room and we heard her calling from the porch:
"Bo-lum--Bo-lum--Isaac Bo-oh-lum."

Isaac was at the store. It seemed to me that his wife should have
known that without much research. The little pile of sticks by the
kitchen-door showed that his day's work was done, for when he had split
the wood for the morrow it was the old man's custom to put aside all
worldly care and start on a tour of the village, which generally ended
on the bench at Henry Holmes's side.

It was almost dusk. Tim had come on a mission to Robert Weston. I had
sent word to him of the accident, that Weston's friends might know, and
the first thought of the injured man's partner was to hurry to Six
Stars, but my second despatch, announcing that our friend was well on
the road to recovery, led to the change in plans that brought Tim to
us. Mrs. Bolum