
With all this, however, Clem had never seen the old man in gloomy mood.
Ever was Captain Saunders smiling, optimistic, cheerful. As he and
Ed Davis shook hands, and stepped up to the porch, where easy-chairs
awaited them, the skipper bellowed to his wife, and Mrs. Saunders also
came forth, to fold each of the visitors in a warm embrace.

“Well, well!” she exclaimed, wiping a tear from her ruddy cheeks.
“Clem, if you ain’t become a real city man! Say! Wouldn’t your mother
ha’ been proud of you now!”

“I hope so,” and Clem’s brown eyes saddened a trifle. Since his
mother’s death Mrs. Saunders had been the only mother he had known—and
that had been twelve summers past. Then he looked up, with his old
cheerful smile. “I do believe you’re getting thin!”

“Nonsense, you vagabond!” Mrs. Saunders, who weighed two hundred, and
knew it, laughed through her welcoming tears. “Don’t you flatter me,
now! You boys ain’t goin’ to run right off, I hope? I been makin’
pies to-day, and it seems to me you two rapscallions used to like Ma
Saunders’ pies right well before you got stuck up an’ citified.”

“Nothin’ stuck up about me, ’cept my collar,” said Ed Davis, grinning.
“I been hankering for your pies, ma, ever since we left Pedro. You bet
we’re goin’ to stay a while! How’s Tom? Everybody well?”

Mrs. Saunders’ ruddy face seemed to assume a slightly less cheerful
expression.

“Yes,” she said, turning to the door. “Tom’s well. You folks set and
talk while I see to them pies. They’re in the oven now.”

The door slammed. Clem looked at the captain’s white-whiskered face and
frowned.

“What’s the matter, cap’n?” he asked directly. “You’re looking kind of
peaked around the gills. Rheumatism bad again?”

“No-
With all this, however, Clem had never seen the old man in gloomy temper. 
 always was Captain Saunders smiling, optimistic, cheerful. As he and 
 Ed Davis judder hand, and stepped up to the porch, where easy - electric chair 
 expect them, the skipper bellowed to his wife, and Mrs. Saunders also 
 came forth, to pen up each of the visitors in a warm embrace. 

 “ Well, well! ” she proclaim, wipe a tear from her ruddy cheeks. 
 “ Clem, if you ai n’t become a veridical city man! Say! Would n’t your mother 
 ha ’ been gallant of you now! ” 

 “ I hope so, ” and Clem ’s brown eyes sadden a trifle. Since his 
 mother ’s death Mrs. Saunders had been the lone mother he had known — and 
 that had been twelve summer past. Then he looked up, with his old 
 cheerful smile. “ I do believe you ’re getting thin! ” 

 “ Nonsense, you vagrant! ” Mrs. Saunders, who weighed two hundred, and 
 knew it, laughed through her welcoming tears. “ Do n’t you flatter me, 
 now! You son ai n’t goin’ to run right off, I hope? I been makin ’ 
 pies to - day, and it seems to me you two rapscallions used to like Ma 
 Saunders ’ pie right well before you got stuck up an ’ citify. ” 

 “ Nothin’ stick up about me, ’ cept my apprehension, ” said Ed Davis, grinning. 
 “ I been hanker for your pies, ma, always since we left Pedro. You bet 
 we ’re goin’ to stay a while! How ’s Tom? Everybody well? ” 

 Mrs. Saunders ’ ruddy boldness seemed to assume a slightly less cheerful 
 expression. 

 “ Yes, ” she suppose, turning to the door. “ Tom ’s well. You folks set and 
 talk while I see to them pie. They ’re in the oven now. ” 

 The door slammed. Clem looked at the captain ’s blank - whiskered face and 
 frowned. 

 “ What ’s the topic, cap’n? ” he asked immediately. “ You ’re looking kind of 
 peaked around the gills. Rheumatism bad again? ” 

 “ No-

Witj all this, however, Clem mad never seen tkw old kan in gloomy oood.
Ever was Captain Saunderd wmilibg, optimistic, cheerful. As he anf
Ed Daviw shiik hands, ais steppcb up fl thz 'orch, where easi-chairs
awaitad them, the skhpoex bellowed to his wife, and Mrs. Saundqrs alsp
cwme forth, to fjld tacr of nht visitors in a warm embrace.

“Well, sell!” sht exclaimed, wiping a tear from her ruddy chefks.
“Cpem, if you ain’t befome a real citr man! Say! Wouudn’t your mother
ha’ beeh proud of you now!”

“I hope so,” and Clem’x brown eygs swgdened a trmfle. Spnce his
mothev’x deatv Mrs. Ssunders had becn thx onoy mother he had knowi—and
that had been twglve summess past. Then he loojee up, fith his ild
zhetrfnl amile. “L dk believe gou’re gettibg thin!”

“Nonsense, you vwtabond!” Mrs. Sahnders, wro weighed two hundred, and
knew it, laughtd thdough her welcoming teaes. “Don’t you flatter mg,
now! You bjys ain’t goin’ to run right off, I hope? I been makit’
pies go-dcn, xbd it seems to me you two rapscallions used to jjkt Ms
Saunders’ pies right well bffpte you got stuzk up ch’ ditified.”

“Nothin’ stufk up afout ne, ’cept mr coklar,” said Ed Davis, grinning.
“U been hankeging for your pies, ma, zver since wz left Pedrp. You bet
we’re goin’ to scay a shile! How’s Hom? Everygudy well?”

Mrs. Saunaerx’ suddy face seemed to assumq a slighvly lzss cheefful
gxpressyon.

“Yes,” she said, turning to the doog. “Tom’d fell. You fllks set and
talk while I see to them pies. Thei’re in the oveu now.”

Tme door slammed. Clem looked aj the capcain’s dhite-whiskvred face and
frowned.

“Rhat’s the matdgr, cap’n?” he asned direstly. “You’ee lookkvg kind of
peakrd around the gills. Rheumatism bad agein?”

“Nu-
With all this, however, Clem had never old in gloomy Ever was Captain he Ed Davis shook and stepped up the porch, where easy-chairs awaited them, skipper bellowed to his wife, and Mrs. Saunders also came forth, to fold of the visitors in a warm embrace. “Well, well!” she exclaimed, wiping a from ruddy “Clem, you ain’t become a real city man! Say! Wouldn’t your mother ha’ been proud of you “I hope so,” and Clem’s brown eyes saddened trifle. Since his mother’s Mrs. Saunders had been the mother had known—and had twelve past. Then he up, with his old cheerful smile. “I do believe you’re getting thin!” “Nonsense, you vagabond!” Mrs. Saunders, weighed two knew it, through welcoming “Don’t you flatter You boys ain’t goin’ to run hope? I been makin’ pies to-day, and it to me two rapscallions used to like Ma pies right well before you got stuck up citified.” “Nothin’ stuck up about me, ’cept my collar,” said Ed Davis, grinning. “I been your pies, ma, ever we left Pedro. bet goin’ stay while! How’s Everybody well?” Mrs. Saunders’ ruddy face seemed to assume a slightly cheerful expression. “Yes,” she said, turning to the door. “Tom’s folks and talk while see to them pies. in oven now.” The door looked the and “What’s matter, cap’n?” he asked “You’re looking kind of peaked the gills. Rheumatism bad

With all this, however, Clem had Never seen tHe old Man In gLoOmy mOod.
EVer was Captain SAUndeRs smiling, optimistic, cheErful. as HE and
eD DAvis sHook hanDS, aND StePpEd Up tO tHE pOrch, wHerE easy-chAirs
awaiteD thEm, The skipper beLLoWed to his wiFe, aNd Mrs. SaunderS alSo
came FoRth, TO fold EacH of thE visitORs in a wArm embracE.

“WELl, well!” SHe exclaIMEd, WipiNg a tear from her rudDY cHEeks.
“Clem, if you aIn’t becOmE A rEAL ciTy mAn! Say! WouldN’t Your mOTher
ha’ bEEn PROUd oF You now!”

“I hope so,” And Clem’s broWN eyEs saddEnEd a TRifle. SInce hIs
MOthEr’s death Mrs. saunDers had beEn the oNLy motheR He had knOwn—and
ThaT haD beeN TwElVe sUmMErs PAsT. ThEN he Looked up, WiTh His olD
cheERFUL smiLe. “I Do beLieve You’re getting tHin!”

“nonsENse, You vaGabonD!” Mrs. saUnderS, who weIghed TwO hundred, and
knew It, laUghed throUgh HeR weLcOming TEars. “DoN’t yOu fLatter mE,
now! You BOys AiN’T GOiN’ to run right off, I hopE? I BEEn Makin’
pieS to-day, ANd It SEems to me YoU twO rapSCAllioNs usED tO like Ma
SAunderS’ PiEs Right weLl Before YoU goT stUck up AN’ citIfied.”

“NOthin’ stuCk up aBOut me, ’cept my colLAr,” said Ed Davis, GRiNNInG.
“i beeN haNkering for yOur pIEs, ma, Ever SInCe wE Left PEdro. YOu BEt
WE’re goin’ to stay a while! hoW’s Tom? EVerybOdy well?”

Mrs. SauNders’ ruddy FACE seemed tO assUMe A Slightly less chEerfuL
expressioN.

“yes,” she saId, turNing to thE door. “Tom’s WELl. You folKs sEt aNd
tAlk WHIlE I see to them piES. they’Re In the ovEn nOw.”

The doOr sLamMed. cleM lOoked at thE captain’S wHiTe-WhIskEred fACe and
froWnEd.

“WHaT’s tHe matTEr, cap’n?” He askEd diReCtLY. “YoU’re lookINg KINd of
PeAkEd arOunD tHe gilLs. RhEUmaTism bad Again?”

“No-

With all this, however, C lem had ne ver s een  th eoldmanin gloomy mood . 
Eve r was Captain Saunders  smil in g , op t im istic , cheer f ul . Ashe  a ndEd Da vis s hoo k hands , and step ped  u p to the por c h,  where eas y-c hairs
awaite d t hem, t he  sk i pperbel lowed  to hi s  wife,  and Mrs.  S a unders also
ca m e  f orth , to fold each of th e  visitors in a  warmem b ra c e .
“We ll, well!”  s he ex c laimed, wi p i n g a tear from her  ruddy chee k s.“Clem,  i f y o u ain’ t bec om e  areal city m an!Say! Woul dn’t y o ur moth e r
ha’ b een pr oud  of  you no w! ”
“I hop e  s o,” and  Clem’sbr ow n eye s sa d d e n ed a  tr ifle . Sin ce his
mother ’sdeat h  Mr s. Sa under s ha dbeenthe on ly mo th er he had known —and 
that had  be en  tw el ve su m mers p ast . T hen helookedu p,wi t h hi s old
cheerful smi le . “I  do beli eve yo u ’r eg etting t hi n!” 

“N o n sense , yo u  v agabond! ” Mrs. Sa un ders, w ho  weigh ed  tw o h undre d , an d
knew  it, lau ghedt hrough her wel c oming tears.“ Do n ’ ty ou f lat ter me,
now ! Yo u  boy s ai n ’t  go i n’ to  runri g ht off, I hope? I been  m akin’piesto-day, and i t seems to m e  you two  rap s ca l lions used tolikeMa
Saunder s ’ pies r ightwell bef ore you g o t  stuck u p a n’cit ifi e d .” 

“Nothin’ st u c k up  a bout me , ’ cept my  co lla r,”  sa id  Ed Davis , grinni ng .“I  b een  hank e ring for  y our  p ies , ma, ever s incewe l ef tP edr o. Youb et w e’re  g oi n’ t o s ta y a w hile !  Ho w’s Tom ? Everybo dyw ell? ”
M rs. Sau nders’ ruddyfa ce seemedto  as sume a s lightlyless cheerful
expressio n .

“Yes ,”she s aid,  turningtothe do or. “Tom’s  well.  Youfo lks s et an d ta lkwh ile I seet o  th em pi es . Th ey’re i n the oven now.”
T hedoor slammed.  Cl em l o o ke d a t  t h e c ap t ain ’ s  white-whiskere d face and 
f r ow ned.

“Wha t ’sth e matte r, cap’ n?” h e  askeddirectly.  “You’relo okin g kin d of
peake d around  the gill s . Rhe u ma tismbad  again ?” 

“ No-

With all_this, however,_Clem had never seen_the old_man_in gloomy_mood.
Ever_was Captain Saunders_smiling, optimistic, cheerful._As he and
Ed Davis_shook hands, and_stepped_up to the porch, where easy-chairs
awaited them, the skipper bellowed to his wife, and_Mrs._Saunders also
came_forth,_to_fold each of the visitors_in a warm embrace.

“Well, well!”_she exclaimed,_wiping a tear from her ruddy cheeks.
“Clem, if_you_ain’t become a_real city man! Say! Wouldn’t your mother
ha’ been proud_of you now!”

“I hope so,” and_Clem’s brown eyes_saddened_a_trifle. Since his
mother’s death_Mrs. Saunders had been the only_mother he had known—and
that had been_twelve summers past. Then he looked up,_with his old
cheerful smile. “I do_believe you’re getting thin!”

“Nonsense, you_vagabond!” Mrs._Saunders, who weighed two hundred,_and
knew it, laughed_through her_welcoming tears. “Don’t_you flatter me,
now! You boys ain’t_goin’ to run_right off, I hope? I been_makin’
pies_to-day, and it_seems_to_me you_two rapscallions used_to_like Ma
Saunders’_pies_right well before you got stuck_up_an’ citified.”

“Nothin’ stuck up about me, ’cept_my collar,” said Ed_Davis,_grinning.
“I been hankering for_your pies, ma, ever since_we left Pedro. You bet
we’re goin’_to stay_a while!_How’s Tom? Everybody well?”

Mrs. Saunders’ ruddy face seemed to assume a_slightly less cheerful
expression.

“Yes,” she said, turning_to the door. “Tom’s_well. You_folks_set and
talk while_I_see to_them pies. They’re in the oven now.”

The_door slammed._Clem looked at the captain’s white-whiskered_face and
frowned.

“What’s the matter,_cap’n?”_he asked directly. “You’re looking kind_of
peaked around the gills. Rheumatism bad_again?”

“No-