804 HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 



as unmistakable as the contented sighing of a 

 babe at the breast. Daddy was stuffing his 

 grasshopper down a yawning, hungry pink 

 throat. In another flash he was gone to find 

 another tidbit. He's keeping at it steadily, 

 from morning till night. He is certainly a 

 busy bird! 



"Well!" I said. "The old man has had a 

 come-down, hasn't he?" 



"Has he?" Laura asked quietly. Her eyes 

 were on our own babies at our feet. The sim- 

 ple question caught me up short. 



"No, no!" I said. "God knows I didn't 

 mean that. He's been promoted ; he's gone up 

 to the very head of his class as far up as any 

 male thing may ever hope to get in this life." 



We didn't argue the matter. There was no 

 need. We only sat and looked about us and 

 let the calm of the coming dusk take posses- 

 sion of us. 



It was an exquisite picture we saw. Near 

 lay our cornfields, a very embodiment of 

 Plenty brought magically into being. A light 

 air swept across the tasseled ranks of the corn, 

 and they bent, rustling, whispering of the pro- 

 found mystery. It needed no abnormal fancy 

 to catch a hint of what they talked about. 



