s de President
himself. Ah; he's a-raisin' her keerful, is Mars D'Willerby."

"Waal," said Mrs. Doty, "ef 'twarn't Tom D'Willerby, I shed say it was a
puttin' on airs; but thar ain't no airs 'bout Tom D'Willerby."

From the first Mr. Stamps's interest in Tom's _protegee_ had been
unfailing though quiet. When he came into the store, which he did some
three times a week, it was his habit to fix his small, pale eyes upon her
and follow her movements stealthily but with unflagging watchfulness.
Occasionally this occupation so absorbed him that when she moved to her
small corner behind the counter, vaguely oppressed by his surveillance,
he sauntered across the room and took his seat upon the counter itself,
persisting in his mild, furtive gaze, until it became too much for her
and she sought refuge at Tom's knee.

"He looks at me," she burst out distressedly on one such day. "Don't let
him look at me."

Tom gave a start and turned round, and Mr. Stamps gave a start also, at
once mildly recovering himself.

"Leave her alone," said Tom, "what are you lookin' at her for?"

Mr. Stamps smiled.

"Thar's no law agin it, Tom," he replied. "An' she's wuth a lookin' at.
She's that kind, an' it'll grow on her. Ten year from now thar ain't no
law es 'ed keep 'em from lookin' at her, 'thout it was made an' passed in
Congrist. She'll hev to git reckonciled to a-bein' looked at."

"Leave her alone," repeated Tom, quite fiercely. "I'll not have her
troubled."

"I didn't go to trouble her, Tom," said Mr. Stamps, softly; and he
slipped down from the counter and sidled out of the store and went home.

With Mr. Stamps Sheba always connected her first knowledge of the fact
that her protector's temper could be disturbed. She had never seen him
angry until she saw Mr. Stamps rouse him to wrath on the eventful fifth
birthday, from which the first exciting events of her life dated
themselves. Up to that time she had seen only in his great strength and
broad build a power to protect and shield her own fragility and smallness
from harm or fear. When he took her in his huge arms and held her at what
seemed to be an incredible height from the ordinary platform of
existence, she had only felt the cautious tenderness of his touch and
recognised her own safety, and it had never occurred to her that his
tremendous voice, which was so strong and deep by nature, that it might
have been a terrible one if he had chosen to make it so, could express
a