ep
feeling. Not often in his life had he been so touched, so moved. Two big
tears rolled down his ruddy cheeks.

"You've got to stay because of Phil! I tell you there's nobody to think
about but Phil!"

Suddenly she threw her arms about his neck and burst into tears.

"Oh, I couldn't speak of her! You don't understand that it's because of
Phil I ought to go! You thought I was heartless about it, but it's not
that I don't care. I'm afraid to see Phil! I'm afraid!"

"Don't you worry about Phil," he answered, digging the tears out of his
eyes with his knuckles. "Phil's all right," he concluded.

He crossed the hall and when he returned, carrying a bulky photograph
album, she had regained her composure, and stood holding her hands to
the fire.

"Sit here and look at Phil: I've got all her pictures from the time she
was a baby. I guess you remember these first ones."

She sat down by the center table and he turned up the gas in the
blue-shaded lamp. She passed the baby pictures quickly, but looked
closely at those that showed her daughter at school age. Under each
photograph Amzi had written the date, so that as a record the collection
was complete. There were half a dozen disclosures of Phil in her M.H.S.
sweater. Amzi called attention to these with a chuckle.

"Nearly killed the girls; Phil chasing round town in that thing! And
here she's trigged out in her graduating clothes. I guess you'd have
been proud of her that night. Her piece was about tramp dogs; funniest
thing you ever heard! And here she is--let me see--yes, that was last
summer. Those other things are just little snapshots; and here's a group
showing Phil with her class. Phil in front--she was the head of her
class all right!" he ended proudly.

Whatever emotions may have been aroused by this pictorial review of her
child's life, Lois outwardly made no sign. She murmured her pleasure at
one and another of the pictures, looked closely at the latest in point
of time, sighed and closed the book.

"She looks like me, I suppose. Is she taller?"

"The least bit, maybe; but you're as like as two peas," answered Amzi;
and then added, with the diffidence of a man unused to graceful
speeches, "I guess you'd almost pass for sisters. By George, Lois,
you're a wonder! You ain't a year older!"

"That's no compliment, Amzi! I ought to have changed," she replied
soberly. "But there's gray in my hair if you know where to look, and the
wrinkles are getting busy."