ritably. He realized at once
that his superior was trying to shove him in the background, this being
a momentous occasion. He did not propose that any such thing should
happen. The blacksmith glared at him irritably but the progress of the
art work was too exciting to permit of any immediate opportunities for
hostilities, so Jimmy was allowed to crowd close and see.

"Ho, ho! that's you, ain't it," he asked the smith curiously, indicating
with a grimy thumb the exact position of that dignitary on the drawing.

"Don't," said the latter, loftily--"sure! He's gotta have room."

"An' there's me. Ho! Ho! Gee, I look swell, don't I? Ho! ho!"

The little helper's tushes were showing joyously--a smile that extended
far about either side of his face. He was entirely unconscious of the
rebuke administered by the smith.

"If you're perfectly good, Jimmy," observed Eugene cheerfully still
working, "I may make a sketch of you, sometime!"

"Na! Will you? Go on! Say, hully chee. Dat'll be fine, won't it? Say,
ho! ho! De folks at home won't know me. I'd like to have a ting like
dat, say!"

Eugene smiled. The smith was regretful. This dividing of honors was not
quite all that it might be. Still his own picture was delightful. It
looked exactly like the shop. Eugene worked until the whistle blew and
the belts began to slap and the wheels to whirr. Then he got up.

"There you are, Fornes," he said. "Like it?"

"Gee, it's swell," said the latter and carried it to the locker. He took
it out after a bit though and hung it up over his bench on the wall
opposite his forge, for he wanted everyone to see. It was one of the
most significant events in his life. This sketch was the subject
immediately of a perfect storm of discussion. Eugene was an
artist--could draw pictures--that was a revelation in itself. Then this
picture was so life-like. It looked like Fornes and Sudds and the shop.
Everyone was interested. Everyone jealous. They could not understand how
God had favored the smith in this manner. Why hadn't Eugene sketched
them before he did him? Why didn't he immediately offer to sketch them
now? Big John came first, tipped off and piloted by Jimmy Sudds.

"Say!" he said his big round eyes popping with surprise. "There's some
class to that, what? That looks like you, Fornes. Jinged if it don't!
An' Suddsy! Bless me if there ain't Suddsy. Say, there you are, kid,
natural as life, damned if you ain't. That's fine. You oughta keep tha