looked as
lonely and forlorn as it looked majestic and desirable to Papa
Pepperall, glancing back over his shoulder as he sauntered home with
difficult deliberation. His heart was singing, "What a place to eat
Sunday dinners at!"

Once out of Tawm Kinch's range, he broke into a walk that was almost a
lope, and he rounded a corner into the portico that Judge Hippisley
carried ahead of him. When the judge had regained his breath he seized
papa by both lapels and growled:

"Look here, Pepperall, I told you to keep your daughter away from my
boy, and you didn't; and now Ort has lost his job. Beadle fired him
to-day. And jobs ain't easy to get in this town, as you know. And now
what's going to happen?"

William Pepperall was so exultant that he tried to say two things at the
same time; that Orton's job or loss of it was entirely immaterial and a
matter of perfect indifference. What he said was, "It's material of
perfect immaterence to me."

He spurned to correct himself and stalked on, leaving the judge gaping.
A few paces off William's knees weakened at the thought of how he had
jeopardized Ollie's position; but he tossed that aside with equal
"immaterence," for when Prue became Mrs. Kinch she could take Ollie to
live with her, or send her to school, or something.

When he reached home he drew his wife into the parlor to break the
glorious news to her. She was more hilarious than he had been. All their
financial problems were solved and their social position enhanced, as if
the family had suddenly been elevated to the peerage.

She was on pins and needles of impatience because Prue was late for
supper. She came down at last when the others had heard all about it and
nearly finished their food. She had her hat on, and she was in such a
hurry that she paid no attention to the fluttering of the covey, or the
prolonged throat-clearing of her father, who had difficulty in keeping
Serina from blurting out the end of the story first. At length he said:

"Well, Prue, I guess the tango ain't as bad as I made out."

"You going to join the class, poppa?" said Prue, round the spoonful of
preserved pears she checked before her mouth.

Her father went on: "I guess you're one of those daughters of Shiloh
like you said you was. And the son of Benjamin has come right out after
you. And he's the biggest son of a gun in the whole tribe."

Prue put down the following spoonful and turned to her mother: "What
ails poppa, momma? He t