joe baldwin was standing in front of his little shop. he was bareheaded and that meant that he was worried. for it was only in moments of mental distress that joe laid aside the black cap that gave him the look of a dashing driver of the twentieth century limited.

in the autumn dusk a chilly little wind played about the street corners and wailed softly through the thinning tree-tops. the big lamp above joe's workbench was unlighted so the little shop was in darkness except for the fitful wavering of the ruddy wood fire in the big stove.

the streets were empty and quiet. it was an hour after supper and green valley was indoors sitting about its first fires and talking of the coming winter; remembering cold spells of other years; thanking its stars that the coal bin was full and wondering whether it hadn't better put on its heaviest underwear.

joe knew just about what green valley was thinking and saying. from where he stood he could see what a part of green valley was doing. for this early in the evening green valley never pulled down its shades. so when the lights flared out in the wendells' west front up-stairs window joe saw mrs. wendell go to the clothes closet and bring out various newspaper parcels. joe knew very well that those parcels contained furs.

furs and ferns were mildred wendell's two passions. she had furs of all sizes and colors and weights, beginning with the little muff and tippet her favorite aunt had given her long ago when she was only five to the really beautiful and expensive set her son, charlie, had given her for her last birthday. as for ferns, she had so many that green valley always went to her for its wedding and funeral decorations. and she was only too happy to lend her collection of feathery beauty.

from where he stood on his doorstep joe could look down three streets and see green valley in its shirt sleeves and slippers and its gingham apron, so to speak. he could look over the white sash curtains right into mert hagley's kitchen for mert lived behind his store. joe saw mary, mert's wife, turning the pages of the evening paper and studying the advertisements. and he knew as well as he knew his own name that mary was talking to mert about a new heater, begging him to buy a nice new hard-coal heater instead of the second-hand hot blast stove he was thinking of buying from some man in spring road.

john henderson had another one of his bad headaches for joe saw him lying on the dining-room couch. his wife was applying cold-water bandages and tenderness to that bald pate of his when she knew better than any one that what he needed was a stiff dose of salts and castor oil and a little self-control on the nights she had ham and cabbage for supper.

over in the morrison cottage grandma whitby was knitting stockings for the little morrisons at a furious rate and every once in a while sending one of the children out for more wood or a fresh pail of water or some more yarn. joe could see the children sitting around the dining-room table with their books and games and arguing with each other every time the grandmother made a new request.

grandma whitby was a dictatorial old soul. she not only was eternally busy herself but she kept everybody around her forever on the jump. mrs. morrison was her only child and once in a moment of bitterness said that her eight children seemed like a houseful until they got to running errands for mother and that then she realized that eight wasn't anywhere near enough. and the morrison's second boy, john william, once explained to joe that he wore out his shoes, "running errands for granny."

alice richards' baby was ailing again. joe could see allie walking the floor, could almost hear her comforting the restless mite in her arms.

somebody came hurrying down the street and as they passed a street lamp joe saw that it was mrs. downey, taking tommy to the dentist. doc mitchell was a nice enough chap but as joe watched tommy's legs saw the air he thought the doctor might be a little mite gentler with the boy orator. but doc was getting old and he was probably tired. these first autumn days before the snap and sparkle and snowy gleam of real winter sets in always told on the older folks. they sort of seemed tired and worried and sad.

so joe stood there, looking at the purple and green and magenta-pink lights of martin's drug store, the sleepily winking lights of the little station and the mellow golden glow of sophie forbes' yellow parlor lamp. then he turned and looked straight down his own street, past the post-office, the tin shop, the dry-goods store to the spot where a faint light seeped through drawn curtains and faint rowdy noises came from behind closed doors.

it was what he guessed was behind those closed doors that had brought joe out of his shop bareheaded and caused him to feel as doc mitchell maybe felt—a little old and sad and tired and even a bit helpless.

usually on this first night of autumn joe's shop was crowded with noisy feet and voices of all sizes that squeaked one minute in a shrill soprano and in the next sank to a ragged bass. joe's shades were never drawn and all the world could see the boys playing old maid and rummy, shooting caroms or sitting on the counter, swinging their feet, eating apples and cracking nuts for themselves and joe who was questioning them about the day's happenings.

but to-night—involuntarily joe turned and looked back into the soft darkness of his little shop where the firelight flickered softly, tenderly through the gloom. his heart cramped. then he looked again to the place where heavy curtains were drawn over dirty windows. he caught again that muffled rough noise of young voices. and his mind was made up.

he stepped back into his shop, turned on all the lights, put the basket of ruddy apples on the counter, straightened the pile of old magazines and pulled out the carom board, the box of chess and checkers. he took a last housewifely look around, then put on his hat and coat and started out. there was pain and anger and a terrible determination in his usually gentle face.

but as he stepped to the door it opened, admitting mrs. jerry dustin. that sweet-faced little woman looked about with anxious eyes, then turned to the little shoemaker.

"joe—i'm looking for peter. wasn't he here with you? he said he was coming here to see the boys."

"he was here and he saw the boys. they all went off together."

"joe"—fear and worry leaped to the lovely corn-flower eyes, "joe—not—surely they didn't go—they aren't down there?"

"that's just where they are. i was just going after them."

for still seconds this father and mother of boys looked at each other in misery. both were thinking the same thing, both shrank from what was before them, but even as joe squared his shoulders mrs. dustin straightened hers.

"i'm going with you, joe."

so down the autumn street went these two. joe, because he had promised hattie when she was sick unto death that he would always watch over the boys, would love and cherish and guard them.

mrs. dustin was going because peter was her baby, her strange, weird duckling, full of whimsical fancies and fantastic longings. he was a sort of dream child for whom she alone felt wholly responsible. all the others were good, understandable children. but peter was odd and nobody but his blue-eyed mother knew how to handle him.

"rosalie, i've never whipped those boys of mine. some way i couldn't with hattie gone and them having no one but me. but maybe it was a mistake."

"no, it wasn't, joe. the greatest teacher that ever lived used only truth and gentleness and look at the size of his school now. no—this trouble isn't in the children exactly. it must be in us. we're stupid and don't know how to do for the children. people say that young folks must be young folks. and we let our boys and even our girls flounder through a lot of cheap foolishness before we expect them to settle down.

"but it's my opinion, joe, that letting them flounder all alone through these raw years of their life is plain wickedness. peter has a good home and he's loved and he knows it. yet he's got to the place now where he wants something that i and the home can't seem to give him. i don't know just what it is. but this place, joe, bad as it is, must have the thing that our half-grown children want and that's what brings them here even against our will. and i'm going to-night to find out what it is."

"it can't be good for them, rosalie, when it drives them into lying and stealing. why only to-day josie landis sent eddie to me with fifty cents for the shoes i mended for her. and he gambled that fifty cents away in the slot machine and came and told me a lie!"

"little eddie landis! why—joe, he's just a baby."

"well—that's what the place is doing to the babies. i don't like it. it's dirty and sneaky and it's working hand in hand with the saloon. it has no business in this town."

"but, joe, it must have something that this town wants or it wouldn't be doing business. it can't be all pure wickedness."

but joe's anger was rising in leaps and bounds so that his very hands shook. mrs. dustin stopped and laid a soothing hand on the little shoemaker's arm.

"joe, whatever you do don't get angry in there. hold on to your temper and don't let yourself even look mad if you can help it. we mustn't humiliate the children for they'd never forgive. you better let me do all the talking at first."

joe nodded and with that they came abreast of the curtained windows and stood still for a second to gather up their courage. then mrs. dustin very quietly opened the door and stepped in with joe.

she stood smiling at the door and at sight of her the noise stopped as if by magic. every child there knew the lovely, blue-eyed little mother of peter dustin. the only one who did not know her was the proprietor standing in stupid wonder behind his counter. but she pretended not to see his astonishment as she made her laughing explanations.

"we got lonesome, joe and i. you know these first autumn nights do chill us older folks a bit and make us sad. we want bright fires and lots of children racketing around to keep us from feeling old and frightened. and i guess the children get the blues from us for i notice that that's just the time they want to get off by themselves for a good time. we're all trying to forget that the year is dying, i expect, and we're crowding together to cheer each other up. that's what's making the streets so lonely to-night. as i came along i felt so bad that i thought i'd just drop in on joe and get cheered up with the children. they're usually there. but joe was standing on his doorstep as lonely as i was. he was missing the children too. we saw your light and heard the children laughing, and we just thought we'd come in and see if we couldn't feel young again. we didn't come in to spoil your fun, so just you go on with it. joe and i'll watch and maybe join in. you were dancing, weren't you, mollie?"

mrs. dustin asked this of a little russet-haired girl of fourteen who in her sudden amazement at the visitors was still standing in the middle of the floor with her arms about peter, who had a mouth organ in his mouth. she was a graceful little thing and she had been teaching peter how to dance. but now she stood stiff with fright and embarrassment.

"why, don't be afraid of my mother, mollie," peter said gently, for he himself was in no way frightened at his mother's appearance.

so when mrs. dustin repeated her question, mollie said shyly: "yes, ma'am, we were trying to dance."

"bless me," laughed mrs. dustin. "why, i never realized that peter was old enough to want to dance. you should have told me, peter boy. why, you should have all told me, because," she smiled gloriously at them all, "because i used to be the star dancer twenty-five years ago. wasn't i, joe?"

"you sure were," joe answered promptly. his face still looked a little queer and his voice was not quite steady but he was bravely following the wise little woman with the blue eyes.

"let me show you. play something, peter."

mrs. dustin picked up mollie and began to dance. and in exactly five turns about the room all the poetry, the joy of motion in mollie caught fire and her little slim feet just fairly twinkled in happy abandonment.

"why, mollie, girl, you're a fairy on your feet," praised mrs. dustin and the happy face at her breast flushed with pleasure and gratitude at the words.

peter was not the least bit surprised at his mother's antics. he knew that she was a glorious mother and full of surprises. the other youngsters however were not so sure. so peter suggested to the proprietor that he start the graphophone. the proprietor nodded and soon they were all dancing, mrs. dustin taking a new partner every few minutes.

"and children," she suddenly remembered, "joe can jig—why, he used to jig beautifully."

so joe took his turn in amusing the children and while he did it mrs. dustin examined some machines lined up along the wall.

"when you drop a nickel in the slot do you get gum, peanuts or your fortune told or does a punch and judy pop out?" she laughingly and innocently asked sim and sammy berwick who stood near.

sim looked uneasy and sammy said, "aw, them things are no good, mrs. dustin. you don't want to monkey with them. you might—"

but mrs. dustin was already dropping her nickel in and when peter came up she was shaking out an empty purse.

"why, peter, what's the matter with these machines? i guess i didn't work them right. i've dropped all my money in, and i haven't gotten a thing. it's the money i was saving for the framing of that picture mr. rollins gave me. don't you think you can get it for me? jemmy hills sent me word to-day that the picture was all framed and ready."

peter all at once looked sick. he knew how his mother had been saving to buy a pretty frame for the lovely water color bernard rollins had given her. she had even given up the idea of a new knot of flowers for her hat. and now she had dropped the precious coins down the hungry mouth of a slot machine. and the worst of it was she didn't seem to know what she had done.

"mother," peter began miserably, "you've lost the money and i don't see how you can ask—"

"oh, well, peter boy,—never mind. i expect it's some new game and i didn't play it right. i'm sorry i was stupid. let's see what else we can do. i wanted to treat you children to soda but maybe joe has some money. joe," she called merrily to the shoemaker, "won't you treat?"

joe caught the odd little note in her voice. his hand rattled the loose change in his pocket and he smiled a spontaneous smile that had however more than a bit of malice in it.

"sure, i'll treat," and he turned to the proprietor who still looked as though he was seeing things but came to life when joe stepped up to the counter.

"what'll you have?"

"oh," said joe carelessly, "give me what you give the rest of the boys," and here joe winked at the proprietor.

"and i'll have the same," laughed mrs. dustin, and again joe winked at the proprietor.

but the children had grown strangely quiet, especially the boys. and slim mollie once more grew frightened as she watched the proprietor setting out glass after glass of foaming beer.

mrs. dustin was busy talking to the children and didn't seem to see the foaming glasses until joe called,

"come on, everybody—line up."

then the lovely mother face was raised and at the look that came into the blue eyes every child there grew sick and miserable.

"ah, gee—whad he give her that for?" muttered sammy berwick.

but mrs. dustin, after looking once into peter's tortured eyes, stood up and laughed.

"well, children," she confessed, "i've never tasted beer in my life, but it's your party and i invited myself so it would be rude to refuse."

and with that she picked up her glass.

"well," laughed joe, "this is my first drink too. but i'm not going to be an old fogey. what's good enough for my boys is good enough for me."

every child there held its breath for they knew that joe spoke the truth. as for the proprietor, that puzzled man thought that the little shoemaker was trying to be funny and he laughed his first laugh that evening.

peter dustin stood beside his mother, his horrified eyes on the little toil-worn hand that was curled about the stem of a beer glass. he wanted to snatch that glass away, wanted to shout to her not to touch the stuff. but his throat was closed and he was conscious only of the fact that somewhere down inside of the anguish that filled him something was praying for help, something was begging god to keep the little, blue-eyed mother stainless and sweet and unharmed.

joe's boys were not beside their father. they were at the other end of the counter staring, just staring, unconscious of everything, hearing only that strange new laugh of their father's and noticing what no one else except mrs. dustin saw—that joe's hand as he raised his glass shook wretchedly.

and then, before any of them could bring their glasses to their lips, the thing the anguished soul of peter dustin had been praying for happened. the door opened and within its frame stood the big handsome figure of green valley's new minister.

one glance of his took in the scene and the smile he wore never changed nor did an eyelash so much as quiver even after the blue eyes of peter's mother had flashed their message.

"well—i've come to invite folks to my party and i find a party going on. i'm going to give a housewarming soon, and i came over to ask williams here where he bought his graphophone and records. we must have one at my party so that when the musicians get tired we can have other music. and, williams, i'm expecting you to come over that night and run the thing for me. i shall be too busy attending to other matters. and now, as long as we're all here would you mind letting me hear 'annie laurie' again?"

the song was put on and the children crowded round.

joe and mrs. dustin were listening silently to the song that always brought back old faces and scenes and that old haunting ache for the things of long ago.

"that's my favorite tune," said the proprietor suddenly to mrs. dustin.

"it's one of mine too," she smiled back with soft, shining eyes.

"my wife's name was annie," he said again and as suddenly.

"have you lost her?" mrs. dustin asked gently.

"yes. quite a while ago. you make me think of her. she was little and had blue eyes. she died on me when the baby came. she took the baby with her."

"oh," murmured mrs. dustin and she forgot the beer growing stale on the counter, forgot the slot machines against the walls, forgot everything but this man who for this minute stood out from a world of men with this unhealed sorrow in his heart.

"and for bonny annie laurie

i'd lay me doon and dee,"

sang the famous singer softly and the proprietor turned his head away.

"it gets damn lonesome sometimes," he said huskily. and at that a toil-worn hand touched his arm in healing sympathy and a little shoemaker who had come out into the night with anger in his heart said with a huskiness that rivalled the proprietor's,

"my god, man, don't i know!"

the minister played other tunes, then he pulled out his watch and laughed and that ended the party. in a few minutes he was alone with the proprietor.

when the last footstep had lost itself in the still streets the proprietor turned to the big young man who was sitting on an ice-cream table, carelessly swinging his feet.

"i feel so damn funny," said the proprietor, "and all shook up to-night. and i don't know whether it all really happened or whether i just dreamed it—the little woman with the blue eyes and the soft-faced little guy. say, parson, what were they after, anyway?"

"williams," the parson made grave answer, "i rather think those two were looking for their children." and cynthia's son told the story of joe and hattie and mrs. dustin and peter as green valley had told it to him. and when it was told the two men sat still and listened to the little wind mourning somewhere outside.

"yes—that's it. they were looking for their children. if mine hadn't a-died that's maybe what i'd be doing now. oh, god, parson, i'm in wrong again. i've been in wrong ever since annie died. if she was alive i'd be working in a machine shop somewheres, bringing home my twenty-two a week with more for overtime and going around with my wife and the kid and living natural, like other men. my god," he groaned, "the lights just went out when she went and i've been stumbling around in the dark, not knowing how to live or die.

"i quit work the day after i buried her. what was the use of working then? i had half a mind to blow in all i had but i couldn't. seemed like she was still there with me, trying to cheer me up. i slunk around like a shadow for months. and then i got hungry for people. a single man don't get asked around much and he's got to hang around with the boys.

"so i took what money i had and started a pool-room. i thought maybe i'd feel better seeing people around all day. well—it wasn't so bad. but one night a little woman with a baby in her arms came to the door and begged me to send her husband home and not let him play in my place any more. she said she had no milk for the baby and no fire, that he was spending everything he earned in my poolroom.

"so help me, god, parson, that part of it had never struck me. i ain't bright and never was. but i ain't no skunk. i give that woman some of her own money back and that week i sold out at a loss and slunk around some more. i couldn't go back to my own work. i had a grudge against it, someway. by and by the money was all gone and an old pal of mine offered to set me up in business out here, away from the city and old memories. and here i am again—the same old fool and numbskull. i'll sell out this week and git. what i'll do i don't know. i'm not a smart man. it was always annie that did the heavy thinking and the advising and had the ideas for starting things."

the boy who was born in india, who had heard hundreds of gripping, human tales in that land of story and proverb, listened as if this was the first breath of grief his heart had ever experienced. then he took the dead annie's place.

"williams, sometime next spring, billy evans is going to add a garage to his livery barn. he'll need a mechanic. that will be just the place for you. in the meantime i'm buying a little car and am in need of a driver. so until billy is ready you'd better come and bach with me. the farm is big and i'm nearly as lonely at times as you are."

and he told his poolroom friend a tale of india and of two plain white stones that lay somewhere within the heart of it.