Regular customer, Lafe!... Here's a
dollar for Peg."

Lafe did just what Jinnie expected he would, slipped an arm about her
waist.

"The good God be praised!" he ejaculated. "Stand here an' tell me all
about it."

"It was Mr. King----"

"Theodore King?" asked Lafe. "Why, he's the richest man in town. He
owns the iron works."

Jinnie nodded. "Yes! He's the one I played for in the train when I
first came here. You remember my telling you, Lafe? And he wants wood
every day from me. Isn't it fine?"

"'Tis so!" affirmed Lafe. "Jinnie, lass, them angels come in shapes of
human bein's--mostly so. Now go tell Peggy. It'll take a load off'n
her heart."

As Jinnie told her story to Mrs. Grandoken and handed her the money,
the woman's lips twitched at the corners, but she only said,
warningly:

"Don't get a swelled head over your doin's, lass, for a brat ain't
responsible for her own smartness."

One morning, about a week afterward, Jinnie rapped at the back door of
the King mansion.

"Is Mr. King in?" she asked timidly of the servant.

The girl stared hard at the flushed, pretty face.

"He's in, but you can leave the wood if you want to."

"No," refused Jinnie. "I want to see him."

The maid turned away, grumbling, and Jinnie backed from the door with
bated breath.

Mr. King appeared immediately, seemingly embarrassed. He took both her
hands.

"Why, my dear child!" he exclaimed. "I'd completely forgotten to leave
the money for the wood, and you've been bringing it every day."

"Peggy made the dollar go a long ways--that and Lafe's money. We
didn't need any till to-day.... So--so I asked for you."

"I'm glad you did," responded King, counting and giving her the
money.

Then his glance fell upon the bulging shortwood strap.

"I'm afraid you carry too much at a time," he admonished, gravely.
"You mustn't do that."

Jinnie dropped her eyes.

"I was talking to my uncle about it," she explained embarrassedly,
"and he thought same's I, that you were paying too much for that
little wood. I'm goin' to bring more after this."

"I'm satisfied, though, and I can't have you hurting yourself by being
too strenuously honest.... I might--yes, I will! I'll send for you
every day or every other----"

Jinnie's eyes lighted up with happiness.

"Oh, sir,----" she began entreatingly.

"Wait----" said Mr. King. "It's this way! If you brought it up here in
one of my cars, it would save a lot of your time, and you w