ged." And Eph
put the steaming platter on the table.

"She thays you c-c-can thend the platter home to-morrow," stammered
the boy, and stammering himself out, he ran into another. The other
held high a big dish of plum pudding, from which a spicy aroma filled
the room. Again the heaven-born inventor made signs to Eph.

"Our folks told me to ask if you wouldn't try this plum pudding," said
the newcomer. "They made an extra one, and the cousins we expected
didn't come, so we can spare it just as well as not."

It seemed as if Eph hesitated a moment, and the inventor's face became
a panorama. Then he took the boy by the hand, and there was an odd
shake in his voice as he said:

"I'm greatly obliged to you. We all are. Something happened to our
plum pudding, and we didn't have any. Tell your ma we send our
thanks."

There was a sound of voices greeting in the hallway, and two young
girls entered, each laden with a basket.

"Oh, Mr. Todd," they both said at once, "we couldn't wait to knock. We
want you to try some of our Thanksgiving. It was mother's birthday,
and we cooked extra for that, and we've got so much. We can't get all
ours onto the table. She'll feel real hurt if you don't."

Somehow Eph couldn't say a word, but there was nothing the matter with
the heaven-born inventor. His speech of delighted acceptance was such
a good one that before he was half done the girls had loaded the table
with good things, and, with smiles and nods and "good-byes," slipped
out as rapidly and as gayly as they had come in. It was like a gust of
wind from a summer garden.

The table, but now so bare, fairly sagged and steamed with offerings
of Thanksgiving. Somehow the steam got into Eph's eyes and made them
wet, till all he could do was to say whimsically:

"There goes my last chance at a bread-and-milk Thanksgiving."

But now Aunt Tildy had the floor, with her faded face all alight.

"Eph Todd," she said, "you needn't look so flustrated. It's nothing
more than you deserve and not half so much either. Ain't you the
kindest man yourself that ever lived? Ain't you always doing something
for everybody, and helping every one of these neighbours in all sorts
of ways? I'd like to know what the whole place would do without you!
And now, just because they remember you on Thanksgiving Day, you look
like--"

The steam had got into Aunt Tildy's eyes now, and she sat down again
just as there came another knock at the door, a timid sor