hat, Sophy," advised her mother, patiently. "Not but
what it's mighty tryin', sometimes, for Cyrille he don't ever get
further'n them two first bars of 'The Campbells are comin'.'"

Sophy sniffed and poured herself out strong tea. She drank two cups of
it but her appetite was evidently poor, for she hardly touched her
food. Her father was engaged in a long explanation of the misdeeds of
a man who had sold him inferior pork, as she folded her napkin,
slipped it into her ring, and went back into the store. Here she sat
on her stool again, tapping the counter with closed knuckles. Her eyes
chanced to fall upon the paper she had thrown down on the floor, and
she picked it up and began to read. Pete Coogan, when he had brought
it into the store, unknowingly had set big things in motion. He would
have been amazed at the consequences of his act.

Presently Sophy became deeply interested. The pages she turned
revealed marvelous things. Even to one of her limited attainments in
the way of education and knowledge of the world the artificiality of
many of the advertisements was apparent. Others made her wonder. It
was marvelous that there were so many gentlemen of good breeding and
fine prospects looking hungrily for soul-mates, and such a host of
women, young or, in a few instances, confessing to the early thirties,
seeking for the man of their dreams, for the companion who would
understand them, for the being who would bring poetry into their
lives. Some, it is true, hinted at far more substantial requirements.
But these, in the brief space of a few lines, were but hazily
revealed. Among the men were lawyers needing but slight help to allow
them to reach wondrous heights of forensic prosperity. There were
merchants utterly bound to princely achievement. Also there was a
sprinkling of foreign gentlemen suggesting that they might exchange
titles of high nobility for some little superfluity of wealth. Good
looks were not so essential as a kindly, liberal disposition, they
asserted, and also hinted that youth in their brides was less
important than the quality of bank accounts. The ladies, as described
by themselves, were tall and handsome, or small and vivacious. Some
esteemed themselves willowy while others acknowledged Junoesque forms.
But all of them, of either sex, high or short, thin or stout, appeared
to think only of bestowing undying love and affection for the pure
glory of giving, for the highest of altruistic motives. Ot