"She's gwine to be a purty little thing," she said; "she'll be sorter dark-complected, but she's gwine to hev purty hair 'n' eyes. Ye'll be right proud of her, Tom, when she's grown, 'n' I guess she'll be a heap o' company to you. Lord!" with a motherly sigh, "it seems sorter curi's her bein' left to a man; but you'll do well by her, Tom, you'll do well by her. I hain't no doubt o' that. You was always mighty clever with children." "I'll do all I can for her," said Tom, "though I suppose that isn't much." The young woman--she had left her own baby in the store with her husband--patted the little pillow lightly into shape. "Ye'll larn a heap by watchin' her," she said. "Jest watch her close 'n' she'll teach you herself. What do you do about her milk?" anxiously. "I've been told to do several things," said Tom. "I've been told to boil it half an hour and not to boil it at all, and to give her all she wanted and not to give her all she wanted. I'm a little mixed about it." "Wal, I hain't had but five, but I've allus let it come to a bile an' then kinder used my reason about givin' it. Seems like the mejumer ye air with children, the better. But, Lordy! I guess Mornin knows. She raised her young mistress's." She kissed the child before she left it, and when she reentered the store, hurriedly took her own struggling offspring from its father's arms, settled its pink dress and sunbonnet with a nervous, caressing motion, and, carrying it to the door, stood with it pressed against her breast while she seemed to be looking out at the distant mountains. She did not move until her husband had completed his purchases and came to her. And when she followed him out to take her place in the waggon, her eyes were bright and moist. "Don't ye take the Blair's Holler road, Dave," she said, as he touched up his horses. "Go round by Jones's." "What's yer notion, Louizy?" he asked. "'Tain't nothin' but a notion, I reckon," she answered; "but I don't--I don't want to hev to pass by that thar grave jest to-day. Take the other road." And being an easy-going, kindly fellow, he humoured her and went the other way. In the store itself the spirit of hilariousness increased as the day advanced. By mail-time the porch was crowded and Tom had some slight difficulty in maintaining order. "Say, boys," he said, "there's got to be quiet here. If we can't carry on the establishment without disturbing the head of the household at present asleep in the back room, this post-office has to close and you can get a new postmaster. That'd suit you, I daresay. Some fellow, now, that wouldn't half'tend to his business, not more than half, and that hadn't legislative ability enough to carry on a precinct, let alone a county. You want a man of that kind, I suppose. That's what you're working for." "Tom," said one of the younger ones, "bring her out 'n' let's see her. You've been braggin' on her all day, but ye hain't let us see her." Half a dozen others joined in the cry.