“‘You can have your automobile put right into the barn,’ I says, ’if you want to.’

“‘I don’t know as it will be necessary—­’ began the big feller, but the woman interrupted him.  She was starin’ through her thick veil at the barn door.  Sim Butler, in his overalls and ragged shirt sleeves, was leanin’ against that door, interested as the rest of us in what was goin’ on.

“‘I would have it put there, I think,’ says the woman, lofty and superior.  ’It is rather dusty, and I think the wheels ought to be washed.  Can that man be trusted to wash ’em?’ she asks, pointin’ kind of scornful at Simeon.

“‘Yes, marm, I cal’late so,’ I says.  ‘Here, Sim!’ I sung out, callin’ Butler over to the steps.  ‘Can you wash the dust off them wheels?’

“He said course he could, but he didn’t act joyful over the job.  The woman seemed some doubtful.

“‘He looks like a very ignorant, common person,’ says she, loud and clear, so that everybody, includin’ the ‘ignorant person’ himself, could hear her.  ‘However, James’ll superintend.  James,’ she orders the shofer, ‘you see that it is well done, won’t you?  Make him be very careful.’

“James looked Butler over from head to foot.  ‘Humph!’ he sniffs, contemptuous, with a kind of half grin on his face.  ’Yes, marm, I’ll ‘tend to it.’

“So he steered the auto into the barn, and Simeon got busy.  Judgin’ by the sharp language that drifted out through the door, ’twas plain that the shofer was superintendin’ all right.

“Jonadab heaves in sight, bowin’, and makes proclamation that dinner is served.  The pair riz up majestic and headed for the dinin’ room.  The woman was a little astern of her man, and in the hall she turns brisk to me.

“‘Mr. Wingate,’ she whispers, ‘Mr. Wingate.’

“I stared at her.  Her voice had sounded sort of familiar ever sence I heard it, but the veil kept a body from seein’ what she looked like.

“‘Hey?’ I sings out.  ‘Have I ever—­’

“‘S-s-h-h!’ she whispers.  ’Say, Mr. Wingate, that—­that Susannah thing is here, ain’t she?  Have her wait on us, will you, please?’

“And she swept the veil off her face.  I choked up and staggered bang! against the wall.  I swan to man if it wa’n’t Effie!  Effie, in silks and automobiles and gorgeousness!

“Afore I could come to myself the two of ’em marched into that dining room.  I heard a grunt and a ‘Land of love!’ from just ahead of me.  That was Jonadab.  And from all around that dinin’ room come a sort of gasp and then the sound of whisperin’.  That was the help.

“They took a table by the window, which had been made ready.  Down they set like a king and a queen perchin’ on thrones.  One of the waiter girls went over to em.

“But I’d come out of my trance a little mite.  The situation was miles ahead of my brain, goodness knows, but the joke of it all was gettin’ a grip on me.  I remembered what Effie had asked and I spoke up prompt.