“Well,” he says, gentling with the words careful, “I’m kind of sure-moved with a needle.” “Then,” says I, “mebbe you’ll needle this carpet seam that’s pulling my fingers off in pairs. We’d be grateful,” says I, ready. So down he sat and begun to sew, and I never see handier. He whipped up the seam as nice and flat as a roller machine. And things was going along as fine as salt and as smooth as soap when Mis’ Puppy picked up from the pile of things a red cotton table-cover. “Well,” she says, “I donno where we solicited this from, but whoever give it shows their bringing up. Holes. And not only holes, but ink. And not only so, but look there where their lamp set. Would you think anybody of a donatin’ mind would donate such a thing as this?” And Mis’ Pettibone spoke up sour and acid and bitter in one: “I give that table-spread, Mis’ Puppy,” says she. “And it come off our dining-room table. We don’t throw things away to our house before the new is wore off. Anything more to say?” “A grea’ deal,” says Mis’ Puppy, unflabbergasted, “but I’m too much of a lady to say it.” “A lady ...” says Mis’ Pettibone, and done a little mock-at-her laugh. Quick as a flash, and before anybody could say a word more, up hopped Mr. Dombledon and got out of the room. I followed him out on the side porch, thinking he was took sick; and there he stood, staring off acrost my wood lot. “What is it, Mr. Dombledon?” I says. “Don’t you mind me,” he says, “I got hit in a sore spot. I--guess I’ll be stayin’ out here a little while.” Pretty soon he went out and sat on the wood pile, and I took some supper out to him on a pie-tin, and I told him then that we wanted to have Donnie to the table with us. He looked up at me kind of suffering. “I wouldn’t want to refuse you anything,” he says, “but--will they say any more things like that?” Right with the sweep of my wondering at him, that I’d never heard a man speak like him before, come a sweep of shame and of grieving and of being kind of mad, too. “No, sir,” says I. “We won’t have any more of that. What’s the good o’ being hostess if you can’t turn your guests out of the house?” I went back into the house, and marched into the sitting-room. I donno what I was going to say, but I never had to say it. For there was Mis’ Puppy, wiping her eyes on the red table-cover she’d scorned, and she was sitting on the arm of Mis’ Pettibone’s chair. “Them things hadn’t ought to be said, ladies,” says she, as well as she could. “I can’t take back what I said about the table-cover, being it’s what I think. But I wish I’d kep’ my mouth shut, and I don’t care who knows it.” I thought then, and I still think, it was one of the honestest and sweepingest apologies I ever heard.