“Bill an’ I looked at each other an’ laughed.  Her talk convinced me of one thing—­that her trouble was not the lack of a brain.

“‘You’re always making fun of me,’ she said.  ’Why don’t you give me something to do?’

“‘Suppose you wash the dishes?’ said Bill.

“‘Would it please you?’

“‘Anything that pleases you pleases me.’

“‘I saw that she, too, was goin’ to try to keep up with Lizzie, an’ I decided that I’d help her.  When we arrived at the villa we made our way to its front door through a pack of collie dogs out for an airing.

“‘By-the-way,’ I said, when we sat down to luncheon at Bill’s house, ‘congratulate me.  I’m a candidate for new honors.’

[Illustration:  I’m a candidate for new honors.]

“’Those of a husband?  I’ve been hoping for that—­you stubborn old bachelor.’ said Mrs. Bill, expectantly.

“‘No,’ I answered, ‘I’m to be a father.’

“Bill put down his fork an’ turned an’ stared at me.  Mrs. Bill leaned back in her chair with a red look of surprise.

“‘The gladdest, happiest papa in Connecticut,’ I added.

“Mrs. Bill covered her face with her napkin an’ began to shake.

“‘S-Soc., have you fallen?’ Bill stammered.

“‘No, I’ve riz,’ I said.  ‘Don’t blame me, ol’ man, I had to do it.  I’ve adopted some orphans.  I’m goin’ to have an orphanage on the hill; but it will take a year to finish it.  I’m goin’ to have five children.  They’re beauties, an’ I know that I’m goin’ to love them.  I propose to take them out of the atmosphere of indigence an’ wholesale charity.  They’ll have a normal, pleasant home, an’ a hired mother an’ me to look after them—­the personal touch, you know.  I expect to have a lot of fun with them.’

“‘But what a responsibility!’ said Mrs. Bill.

“’I know, but I feel the need of it.  Of course it’s different with you—­very different—­you have all these dogs an’ horses to be responsible for an’ to give you amusement.  I couldn’t afford that.  Then, too, I’m a little odd, I guess.  I can get more fun out of one happy, human soul than out of all the dogs an’ horses in creation.’

“’But children!  Why, they’re so subject to sickness and accident and death,’ said Mrs. Bill.

“‘An’ they’re subject, also, to health an’ life an’ safety,’ I answered.

“’Yes, but you know—­they’ll be getting into all kinds of trouble.  They’ll worry you.’

“‘True; but as for worry, I don’t mind that much,’ I said.  ’My best days were those that were full of worry.  Now, that I’ve won a competence an’ my worries are gone, so is half my happiness.  You can’t have sunshine without shadows.  There was one of my neighbors who was troubled with “boils.”  He had to have ’em cured right away, an’ a doctor gave him some medicine that healed ’em up, but he was worse off than ever.  The boils began to do business inside of him, an’ he rushed back to the doctor.