some effect of heartiness into the congratulations which were his due.
As soon as appeared to me seemly, I took the canoe and hastened around the hemlock-fringed bay to the little green house on the point, flanked in the rear by a disproportionately sized barn, and gay in front with straggly rose-bushes just making ready to bloom. Pushing my prow along the half-submerged planks which served Abel as temporary landing till the water should go down again, amid the clamor of the ducks and flapping of fat old Toby's tail, I prepared to make my advances, wedding-gift in hand, to the new Mrs. Goodfriend, devoutly hoping there might be something in a name.
And for once there was! Such a pleasant-faced, tidy, motherly-looking soul as emerged from the kitchen-end of the house to meet me, one's eyes are seldom gladdened by. We found common ground in the first exchange of remarks about the ducks and were on the basis of old friends in ten minutes. There was just one little matter for regret; she must have been Abel's senior by several years. Already the fine coronal of hair was graying over the
