"I promise never to shoot a man, woman, child or--or anybody," he laughingly replied, "unless it is necessary to save life. And I'll work real hard and save my money. And on Sundays, rain or shine, I'll ride in and report to my new foreman." Then a bit of his old humor came to him: "For I just about need this pin--knots are so clumsy, you know." She glanced at the knot which held the pin and laughed merrily, leading the way into the house. As they entered Humble was extolling the virtues of his dog, to the broad grins of his companions, who constantly added amendments and made corrections _sotto voce._ "Why, here they are!" cried the sheriff in such a tone as to suffuse Helen's face with blushes. The Orphan coolly shook hands with him. "Yes, here we are, Sheriff, every one of us," he replied. "We couldn't be expected to stay away when Mrs. Shields put herself to so much trouble, and we're all happy and proud to be so honored. How do you do, Mrs. Shields," he continued as he took her hand. "It is awful kind of you to go to such trouble for a lot of lonely, hungry fellows like us." "Goodness sakes!" she cried, delighted at his words and pleased at the way he had parried her husband's teasing thrust. "Why, it was no trouble at all--you are all my boys now, you know." "Thank you, Mrs. Shields," he replied slowly. "We will do our very best to prove ourselves worthy of being called your boys." The sheriff regarded The Orphan with a look of approbation and turned to his sister Helen. "He ain't nobody's fool, eh, Sis?" he whispered. "I'm wondering how you ever made up your mind to share him with us!" "Oh, please don't!" she begged in confusion. "Please don't tease me now!" "All right, Sis," he replied in a whisper, pinching her ear. "I'll save it all up for some other time, some time when he ain't around to turn it off, eh? But I don't blame him a bit for exploring the yard first--you're the prettiest girl this side of sun-up," he said, beaming with love and pride. "How's that for a change, eh? Worth a kiss?" She kissed him hurriedly and then left the room to attend to her duties in the kitchen, and he sauntered over to where The Orphan was talking with Mrs. Shields, his hand rubbing his lips and a mischievous twinkle in his kind eyes. "Did you notice the new flower-bed right by the side of the house as you ran past it a while ago?" he asked, flashing a keen warning to his wife. The Orphan searched his memory for the flower-bed and not finding it, turned and smiled, not willing to admit that his attention had been too fully taken up with a fairer flower than ever grew in earth. "Why, yes, it is real pretty," he replied. "What about it?" "Oh, nothing much," gravely replied the sheriff as he edged away. "Only we were thinking of putting a flower-bed there, although I haven't had time to get at it yet."