“‘They missed one.  Never a crack in it and still cold.’  He looked at it curiously, affectionately, then with resignation.  ’I am a minister’s son,’ he reminded himself sternly.  He lifted the bottle above his head, and with his eye selected a nice rough rock half way down the bank.  ‘Watch the bubbles,’ he called to me.

“‘Hay, mister,’ interposed a voice, ‘gimme half a dollar an’ I’ll show you a whole pile of ’em that ain’t broke.’

“Slowly we rallied from our stupefaction as we gazed at the slim, brown, barefooted lad of the farm who was proudly brandishing a forbidden cigarette of corn-silks.

“’A whole pile of ’em.  On the square?’ asked Kirke with glittering eyes.

“‘Yes, sir.  A couple o’ fellows come out in a light wagon a while ago an’ had a lot of bottles in boxes.  First they throwed one on the rocks, an’ then they throwed one up in the tall grass, one up an’ one down.  There’s a whole pile of ’em that ain’t broke at all.  An’ the little dark fellow says, “A good job, Gus.  We’ll be Johnny-on-the-spot as soon as it gets dark."’

“Kirke was standing over him, his eyes bright, his hands clenched.  ’On the level?’ he whispered.

“‘Sure, but gimme the half first.’  Kirke passed out a silver dollar without a word and the boy snatched it from him, giggling to himself with rapture.

“‘Right up there, mister, in that pile of weeds.’

“Kirke took my hand and we scrambled up the bank, pulling back the tall grass,—­no need to stoop and look.  Bottle after bottle, bottle after bottle, lay there snugly and securely, waiting for the sheriff and his friend to rescue them after dark.

“The lad had already disappeared, smoking his corn-silks rapturously, his dollar snug in the palm of his hand.  And Kirke and I, without a word, began patiently carrying the bottles to the buggy.  Again and again we returned to the clump of weeds, counting the bottles as we carried them out,—­a hundred and fifty of them, even.

“Then we got into the buggy, feet outside, for the bed of the buggy was filled and piled high, covered with the robe to discourage prying eyes, and turned the little brown mare toward town.

“’Connie, would you seriously object to kissing me just once?  I feel the need of it this minute,—­moral stimulus, you know.’

“‘Ministers’ daughters have to be very, very careful,’ I told him in an even voice.

“We were both silent then as we drove into town.  When he pulled up in front of the house he looked me straight in the face, and he uses his eyes effectively.

“‘You are a darling,’ he said.

“I said ‘Thanks,’ and went into the house.

“He told me next morning what happened that evening.  Of course he was there to witness Matters’ discomfiture.  He did not put in appearance until the sheriff and his friend were climbing anxiously and sadly into the light wagon to return home empty-handed.  Then he sauntered from behind a hedge and lifted his hat in his usual debonair manner.