, trying to kiss Gail's hand 'cause she gave her some money. So
after she was gone, we ran down to the gate to watch her, and what do
you think? Just as she turned the corner, there was a cop--"

"A what, Peace?"

"I mean a p'liceman, coming along with his club swinging around his
hand, and when the beggar woman saw him, she straightened up as stiff
and starchy as anybody could be, and hustled off down the street 'most
as quick as I can walk. She was a--a fraud, and Gail got cheated just
like I did when I gave that hole-y shoed girl on the hill my shoes."
Here Frances shot a look of triumph at discomfited Gail. "So I made up
my mind that grandpa is right--they are all frauds."

"Why, Peace, child, I never said that in the world," the President
disclaimed, surprised out of his usual serenity by her words.

"That's so,--you said only half were frauds. Well, I guess it's the
fraud half that come here to beg of us. Gussie is tired of feeding them,
Jud's getting ugly, and if they keep on coming I'm 'fraid they'll really
eat grandpa out of house and home. Jud says they will. There were seven
tramps last week, and already we have had two this week, and one beggar.
So I made these signs and stuck them up where everybody'd see them and
know they meant business, w'thout Jud's having to turn the dogs loose or
get his shotgun like he said he ought to. He told me that all hoboes
have some way of letting other hoboes know where they can get a square
meal, and that's why we have so many. He says they never used to bother
so until I came here to tow them along by coaxing Gussie to feed 'em. I
thought I was being good to 'em. S'posing we had sent grandpa away when
he came tramping around to our house in Parker--Faith wanted to--where
would we be now? Still grubbing in Parker trying to get enough to eat,
'most likely; or maybe in the poorhouse, for 'twas grandpa who paid the
mortgage on the farm. I guess I must wait till I'm grown way up to have
any missionary sense."

She spoke so dejectedly and her face looked so pathetic and utterly
discouraged that no one had the heart to laugh, but a sudden feeling of
restraint fell upon the group. Even the President had no words in which
to answer the poor, disheartened little missionary.

"Do you belong to Miss Smiley's Gleaners?" It was Frances who spoke, and
though the words themselves signified little, her tone of voice was like
an electric thrill, and the faces of the whole company turned