Ajax smiled grimly. "I touched him up a little," he said.

"Oh, my poor bunnit!" groaned Mrs. Payson, once more, as her eyes
fell upon the crushed article. "What will Cynthy Ann say?"

"Perhaps a milliner can restore it for you," suggested Henry
Morton, with an attempt at consolation.

The old lady shook her head disconsolately. "It's all jammed out
of shape," she said dismally, "an' the flowers is all mashed up.
Looks as ef an elephant had trodden on to it."

"As you are the only one of us that has suffered," said the young
man politely, "I think it only fair that your loss should be
lightened. Will you accept this toward making it good?"

He drew from his portemonnaie a five-dollar greenback, as he
spoke, and offered it to Mrs. Payson.

"Are you in airnest?" inquired the old lady dubiously.

"Quite so."

"You ain't robbin' yourself, be you?" asked Mrs. Payson, with a
look of subdued eagerness lighting up her wrinkled face.

"Oh, no; I can spare it perfectly well."

"Then I'll take it," she responded, in evident gratification,
"an' I'm sure I'm much obleeged to you. I'm free to confess that