s doing to the babies. I don't like it.
It's dirty and sneaky and it's working hand in hand with the saloon.
It has no business in this town."

"But, Joe, it must have something that this town wants or it wouldn't
be doing business. It can't be all pure wickedness."

But Joe's anger was rising in leaps and bounds so that his very hands
shook. Mrs. Dustin stopped and laid a soothing hand on the little
shoemaker's arm.

"Joe, whatever you do don't get angry in there. Hold on to your temper
and don't let yourself even look mad if you can help it. We mustn't
humiliate the children for they'd never forgive. You better let me do
all the talking at first."

Joe nodded and with that they came abreast of the curtained windows and
stood still for a second to gather up their courage. Then Mrs. Dustin
very quietly opened the door and stepped in with Joe.

She stood smiling at the door and at sight of her the noise stopped as
if by magic. Every child there knew the lovely, blue-eyed little
mother of Peter Dustin. The only one who did not know her was the
proprietor standing in stupid wonder behind his counter. But she
pretended not to see his astonishment as she made her laughing
explanations.

"We got lonesome, Joe and I. You know these first autumn nights do
chill us older folks a bit and make us sad. We want bright fires and
lots of children racketing around to keep us from feeling old and
frightened. And I guess the children get the blues from us for I
notice that that's just the time they want to get off by themselves for
a good time. We're all trying to forget that the year is dying, I
expect, and we're crowding together to cheer each other up. That's
what's making the streets so lonely to-night. As I came along I felt
so bad that I thought I'd just drop in on Joe and get cheered up with
the children. They're usually there. But Joe was standing on his
doorstep as lonely as I was. He was missing the children too. We saw
your light and heard the children laughing, and we just thought we'd
come in and see if we couldn't feel young again. We didn't come in to
spoil your fun, so just you go on with it. Joe and I'll watch and
maybe join in. You were dancing, weren't you, Mollie?"

Mrs. Dustin asked this of a little russet-haired girl of fourteen who
in her sudden amazement at the visitors was still standing in the
middle of the floor with her arms about Peter, who had a mouth organ in
his mouth. She