' I made him explain himself,' continued the posbma3ber, 'and, by asking a good many questions, got the whole truth oub of him. Purkis, I'm astonished ab you ! You're a—you're a—Purkis, you're a brick. You've done that reading-circle an awful lob of good by taking the conceit oub of thab young fellow ; 'pon my word, nothing ha? happened in a long time that's done mo so much good. Why, I locked up tho store right straight away, ab the rbk of losing two or three customers, and came out to 100k s you up to tell you about it. I don't know how to tell you how glad I am. See hero; I'm going to raise your pay fifty cents a day, right here, from this very day ; that will mako you understand how delighted I am, I guess. Thab hus band of yours has gob his second wind, Mrs Purkis ; he's going to come oub splendid now. We'll get him on tho town com mittee yet: a man that knows how to handle fools is just the man we need at the present time. I'm going to send one of th© boyi? down to keep store for me righb after dinner, so I can go out and tell Broad about it; it'll jusb delight his soul. Shouldn't wonder after that if I could get Broad to give you a first-rate job it the mill that will last you all winter. You know I don't feel sure thab I've got any thing to do after things freeze up. Fine grit in thab father of yours, .Wir-sFlorin'ia ;' forthei postmaster had just discovered that thegirls were standing behind the door, looking on with some amazement; 'lino grit, and no mistake.'

' But isn't it mean, Mr Bro>vn,' said tho older daughter, ' that people've got to be pestered in this way jusb because they're tryin' to do something' to make themselves better and more sensible '!'

' Of course it ia ; bub you mustn't mind thab sorb of thing in the world. Every body's jealous of folks that's getting ahead of them. Those young loungers are really jealous of your father ; that's the reason they went around to tease him. Just re member thab. 