This was being condescending, for Max; and Jarvis smiled to himself as he reflected that there’s nothing like having your own way in big matters to make you decently amiable as regards small ones.

From this evening the arrangements for the October husking-bee occupied a more or less prominent part in the plans of the Lanes and their friends.  Meanwhile everybody, including Max himself—­although he could seldom be made to admit it—­thoroughly enjoyed the intervening weeks.

“Did you ever see finer corn than this?” asked Ferry, as he and Bob set up a great shock of rustling stalks at one end of the “drawing-room.”  “To be sure, I didn’t plant it—­I owe the owner of the place for that—­but I hoed it, and I cut it, and I’m reaping the credit.”

“It’s magnificent, Mr. Ferry,” Sally agreed readily, from the floor where she sat, fitting candles into Chinese lanterns of every form and hue, from small round ones to gorgeous great affairs of fantastic shape and design.  It was Saturday afternoon, and the entire force was busy.  On the front porch Max and Josephine were hanging lanterns, while Alec was stringing wires among the trees and down the driveway.  It was extraordinary how many lanterns the Burnsides seemed to have stored away, and in what fresh condition they were; the bunting and the flags, also.  Although some of this material showed unmistakable signs of use, bales more of it had had to be hastily rumpled by Josephine, to get it into the proper condition for lending.

“I’ll tell you where I’ve put in my fine touches,” chuckled Bob.  “Those twenty jack-o’-lanterns of mine have teeth, every one of ’em.  Maybe you don’t think that was some work.”

“Not only was it work, but it shows a trained sense of artistic effect,” Ferry assured him.  “That monster you’ve put on the porch, with four faces pointing to the four points of the compass, has Janus, the god of beginnings, beaten to a finish.”

“Sally,” Josephine called in at one of the front windows, “I’ve forgotten to tell you who are in town!  Neil and Dorothy Chase.  They just came last night.  Don’t you want to ask them out to-night?”

Alec, down the driveway, heard, and was first to shout his approbation of this idea:  “Sure!  Get ’em here and ask ’em if they think there’s room enough to turn round in!”

Max, from the top of the step-ladder, added his approval:  “Have them, whatever you do, Sally.  Of all the chumps!”

Bob whistled.  “Neil was afraid he’d burst our rooms in town,” he recalled.  “He can get as chesty as he likes out here.  You’ll have him, won’t you, Sally?”

Sally looked up at their neighbour, who was laughing quietly at the comments.  “You must think we have odd motives for our invitations.”

“I think the house is going to give the impression to-night of being a hospitable mansion,” he returned.  “It will be just the time to invite anybody who likes space and effect.”