ain Sam Hunniwell came strolling around the corner of the shop.
Jed greeted him warmly and urged him to sit down. The captain
declined.

"Can't stop," he declared. "There's a letter for Maud from Charlie
in to-night's mail and I want to take it home to her. Letters like
that can't be held up on the way, you know."

Charlie Phillips, too, was in France with his regiment.

"I presume likely you've heard the news from Leander Babbitt, Jed?"
asked Captain Sam.

"About his bein' wounded? Yes, Gab flapped in at the shop this
afternoon to caw over it. Said the telegram had just come to
Phineas. I was hopin' 'twasn't so, but Eri Hedge said he heard it,
too. . . . Serious, is it, Sam?"

"They don't say, but I shouldn't wonder. The boy was hit by a
shell splinter while doin' his duty with exceptional bravery, so
the telegram said. 'Twas from Washin'ton, of course. And there
was somethin' in it about his bein' recommended for one of those
war crosses."

Jed sat up straight on the bench. "You don't mean it!" he cried.
"Well, well, well! Ain't that splendid! I knew he'd do it, too.
'Twas in him. Sam," he added, solemnly, "did I tell you I got a
letter from him last week?"

"From Leander?"

"Yes. . . . And before I got it he must have been wounded. . . .
Yes, sir, before I got his letter. . . . 'Twas a good letter, Sam,
a mighty good letter. Some time I'll read it to you. Not a
complaint in it, just cheerfulness, you know, and--and grit and
confidence, but no brag."

"I see. Well, Charlie writes the same way."

"Ye-es. They all do, pretty much. Well, how about Phineas? How
does the old feller take the news? Have you heard?"

"Why, yes, I've heard. Of course I haven't talked with him. He'd
no more speak to me than he would to the Evil One."

Jed's lip twitched. "Why, probably not quite so quick, Sam," he
drawled. "Phin ought to be on pretty good terms with the Old
Scratch. I've heard him recommend a good many folks to go to him."

"Ho, ho! Yes, that's so. Well, Jim Bailey told me that when Phin
had read the telegram he never said a word. Just got up and walked
into his back shop. But Jerry Burgess said that, later on, at the
post-office somebody said somethin' about how Leander must be a
mighty good fighter to be recommended for that cross, and Phineas
was openin' his mail box and heard 'em. Jerry says old Phin turned
and snapped out over his shoulder: 'Why not? He's my son, ain't
h