Andrew the Glad

Caroline smiled happily as she went back to the mixing of the confection

of affection to be administered to David with his tea as by request, and

she laughed as she heard Phoebe's mighty splash.

And a half-hour later, during the discussion of the plump bird and the

one crisp waffle, David Kildare whirled in, beaming with joy over his

plans. In fact he failed to manage anything in the way of a formal

greeting.

"Girls!" he exclaimed from the doorway, "the hunt is on for to-night!

Everybody hurry up! Caroline, Mrs. Matilda wants you to motor out with

her to the Forks to see about having Jeff and Tempie get ready for the

supper cooking--barbecue, birdies and the hot potato! Milly and Billy Bob

are going and Polly and that Boston lad of yours, Caroline--yours if you

can hold him, which I don't think you can. And Mrs. Matilda says--"

"Stop," demanded Phoebe, "and tell us what you are talking about, David."

"I'm surprised at you, Phoebe, for being so dense," answered David with a

delighted grin at having created a flurry. "Didn't you hear me tell

Caroline Darrah Brown at least a week ago that possums and persimmons are

ripe and that the first night after a rain and a fog we would all

turn out and show her how to shake down a few? The whole glad push is

going. Mrs. Matilda and I decided it an hour ago while you were still

asleep. I've telephoned everybody--possums and persimmons wait for no

man."

"How perfectly delightful," said Caroline with eyes agleam with

enthusiasm. "Can everybody go?" David had failed to mention Andrew Sevier

in his enumeration, an omission that she had instantly caught.

"Yes," answered David, "everybody that had engagements we asked the

engagement to go, too. Even Andy is going to cut the poems for the lark!

Thuse up a little, Phoebe, please--give us the smile! I'm backing you to

shake down ten possums against anybody's possible five."

"I don't think that I can go," answered Phoebe quietly. "Mrs. Cherry has

the president of the Federation of Women's Clubs staying with her and I'm

going to dine there to-night to discuss the suffrage platform." There was

a cool note in Phoebe's voice and a sudden seriousness had come into her

expression.

"Now, Phoebe," answered David, looking down at her with the quickly

concealed tenderness that always flashed up in his eyes when he spoke

directly to her, "do you suppose for one minute that I hadn't fixed all

that the first thing? Mrs. Cherry held back a bit but I rabbit-footed the

old lady into being wild to go and then wheedled the correct hostess

some; and there you are! Caroline is to send them out in her motor and

I'm going to make Hob and Tom chase the possum in company of the merry

widow and Mrs. Big Bug. Now give me a glad word!"