tinct was
against committing himself to strangers.

"Difference!" she exclaimed sharply, "it makes a considerable
difference. Perhaps not to you, but to the lady. What coloring is she?"

"C-coloring? She's white."

His companion turned her back on him.

"What size is she?"

"A-about that size," said Jethro, pointing to a model.

"About! about!" she ejaculated, and then she faced him. "Now look here,
my friend," she said vigorously, "there's something very mysterious
about all this. You look like a good man, but you may be a very wicked
one for all I know. I've lived long enough to discover that appearances,
especially where your sex is concerned, are deceitful. Unless you
are willing to tell me who this lady is for whom you are buying silk
dresses, and what your relationship is to her, I shall leave you. And
mind, no evasions. I can detect the truth pretty well when I hear it."

Unexpected as it was, Jethro gave back a step or two before this
onslaught of feminine virtue, and the movement did not tend to raise him
in the lady's esteem. He felt that he would rather face General Grant
a thousand times than this person. She was, indeed, preparing to sweep
away when there came a familiar tap-tap behind them on the bare floor,
and he turned to behold Ephraim hobbling toward them with the aid of his
green umbrella, Cynthia by his side.

"Why, it's Uncle Jethro," cried Cynthia, looking at him and the lady in
astonishment, and then with equal astonishment at the models. "What in
the world are you doing here?" Then a light seemed to dawn on her.

"You frauds! So this is what you were whispering about! This is the way
Cousin Ephraim buys his shirts!"

"C-Cynthy," said Jethro, apologetically, "d-don't you think you ought to
have a nice city dress for that supper party?"

"So you're ashamed of my country clothes, are you?" she asked gayly.

"W-want you to have the best, Cynthy," he replied. "I-I-meant to have
it all chose and bought when you come, but I got into a kind of argument
with this lady."

"Argument!" exclaimed the lady. But she did not seem displeased. She had
been staring very fixedly at Cynthia. "My dear," she continued kindly,
"you look like some one I used to know a long, long time ago, and I'll
be glad to help you. Your uncle may be sensible enough in other matters,
but I tell him frankly he is out of place here. Let him go away and sit
down somewhere with the other gentleman, and we'll get the dress b