ut Romanzo? If your own child that's your flesh and blood and bone
isn't of most interest to you, I'd like to know what is!"

The Colonel's reply was partly inaudible owing to a sudden outbreak of
altercation among the boys in the room below. Mrs. Caukins, who had just
reached the landing, turned in her tracks and hurried to the rescue.

The Colonel smiled at the rosy, freshly-shaved face reflected in the
mirror of the old-fashioned dressing-case, and, at the same time, caught
the reflection of another image--that of his hired man, 'Lias, who was
crossing the yard. He went to the window and leaned out, stemming his
hands on the sill.

"There seems to be the usual Sunday morning row going on below, 'Lias. I
fear the boys are shampooing each other's heads with the backs of their
brushes from the sounds."

'Lias smiled, and nodded understandingly.

"Just look in and lend a hand in case Mrs. Caukins should be
outnumbered, will you? I'm engaged at present." And deeply engaged he
was to the twins' unspeakable delight. Whistling softly an air from "Il
Trovatore," he rubbed some orange-flower water on his chin and cheeks;
then taking a fresh handkerchief, dabbed several drops on the two little
noses that waited upon him weekly in expectation of this fragrant boon.
He was rewarded by a few satisfactory kisses.

"Now run away and help mother--coach leaves at nine forty-five
_pre_-cisely. I forgot the peppermints, but--" he slapped his trousers'
pockets significantly.

The twins shouted with delight and rushed away to impart the news to the
boys.

"I wish you would tell me the secret of your boys' conduct in church,
Colonel Caukins; it's exemplary. I don't understand it, for boys will be
boys," said the rector one Sunday several years before when all the boys
were young. He had taken note of their want of restlessness throughout
the sermon.

The Colonel's mouth twitched; he answered promptly, but avoided his
wife's eyes.

"All in the method, I assure you. We Americans have spent a generation
in experimenting with the inductive, the subjective method in education,
and the result is, to all intents and purposes, a dismal failure. The
future will prove the value of the objective, the deductive--which is
mine," he added with a sententious emphasis that left the puzzled rector
no wiser than before.

"Whatever the method, Colonel, you have a fine family; there is no
mistake about that," he said heartily.

The Colonel bea