th by his bitter
fancies and the preposterous idea. She looked at him inquiringly and
was much perplexed by his unwonted behavior. Indeed, he was slightly
astonished at his own strange mood, but he yielded to it almost
recklessly. "I say, Jane," he began, "I'm not a very good-looking man,
am I?"

She shook her head in emphatic agreement.

"I'm old and rough and hard-featured?"

Again she nodded approvingly.

"Children and some others speak the truth," he growled.

"I never had no teachin', but I'm not a fool," remarked Jane keenly.

"I guess I'm the fool in this case," he added.

"It don't make no difference to me," she said sympathetically. "I'm
goin' to mind you and not her. If you ever send her away I'll cook for
you."

"Send her away!" exclaimed the farmer, with a shiver. "God forbid!
There, don't talk any more!"

For the next half mile he drove in silence, with a heavy frown on his
face; then he broke out sternly, "If you don't promise to mind Mrs.
Holcroft and please her in everything, I'll leave you at the poorhouse
door and drive home again."

"'Course I will, if you tells me to," said the child in trepidation.

"Well, I DO. People will find that making her trouble is the surest
way of making themselves trouble."

"She's got some hold on 'im," concluded Jane, who, in listening to much
gossip, had often heard this expression, and now made a practical
application of the idea.

Watterly was greatly relieved when he saw Holcroft drive up with the
fugitive. "I was just going out to your place," he said, "for the
girl's mother insisted that you had enticed the child away," and the
man laughed, as if the idea tickled him immensely.

Holcroft frowned, for he was in no mood for his friend's rough jests.
"Go to your mother till I send for you," he said to Jane.

"The fact that you had taken two other females from the house gave some
color to Mrs. Mumpson's views," pursued Watterly, who could take only
the broadest hint as to his social conduct.

He received one now. "Tom Watterly," said the farmer sternly, "did I
ever insult your wife?"

"By jocks! No, you nor no other man. I should say not."

"Well, then, don't you insult mine. Before I'd seen Mrs. Holcroft, you
told me she was out of the common run,--how much out, you little
know,--and I don't want her mixed up with the common run, even in your
thoughts."

"Well, now, I like that," said Watterly, giving Holcroft his hand. "You
know I did