ege,
when it was Sunday there, or he was invited to a party at the
President's. I don't see how any man could possibly be handsomer or
look finer. His shirt, collar, and cuffs were snow-white, like
everything had to be before mother got through with it; his big loose
tie almost reached his shoulders; and our men could do a thing no other
man in the neighbourhood did: they could appear easier in the finest
suit they could put on than in their working clothes.

Mother used to say one thing she dreaded about Sunday was the evident
tortures of the poor men squirming in boots she knew pinched them,
coats too tight, and collars too high. She said they acted like
half-broken colts fretting over restriction. Always she said to father
and the boys when they went to buy their new clothes: "Now, DON'T join
the harness fighters! Get your clothing big enough to set your bodies
with comfort and ease."

I suppose those other men would have looked like ours if their mothers
had told them. You can always see that a man needs a woman to help him
out awful bad.

Of course Laddie knew he was handsome; he had to know all of them were
looking at him curiously, but he stood there buttoning his glove and
laughing to himself until Sarah Hood asked: "Now what are you up to?"

He took a step toward her, ran one hand under her lanternjawed chin,
pulled her head against his side and turned up her face.

"Sarah," he said, "'member the day we spoiled the washing?"

Every one laughed. They had made jokes about it until our friends knew
what they meant.

"What are you going to spoil now?" asked Sarah.

"The Egyptians! The 'furriners.' I'm going right after them!"

"Well, you could be in better business," said Sarah Hood sharply.

Laddie laughed and squeezed her chin, and hugged her head against him.

"Listen to that, now!" he cried. "My best friend going back on me.
Sarah, I thought you, of all people, would wish me luck."

"I do!" she said instantly. "And that's the very reason I don't want
you mixed up with that mysterious, offish, stuck-up mess."

"Bless your dear heart!" said Laddie, giving her a harder squeeze than
ever. "You got that all wrong, Sarah. You'll live to see the day,
very shortly, when you'll change every word of it."

"I haven't done anything but get surer about it every day for two
years, anyway," said Sarah Hood.

"Exactly!" said Laddie, "but wait until I have taken the plunge! Let
me tell you how t