"Your scales for weighing, please."

"What on earth is it now?" exclaimed Aunt Stanshy. It was a--so the
placard on the barn door stated--it was A FAIR!

Charlie did not have much to say about it, but through the remainder of
the day often hummed, or smiled and chuckled complacently. When Aunt
Stanshy had lighted the kerosene lamp that had a big lion's claw for a
base and boasted a yellow shade covered with green shepherdesses and blue
sheep, then Charlie sat down at the center-table and for an hour was
exceedingly busy. About eight he held up an object to Aunt Stanshy.

"What is that, Aunt Stanshy?" he asked.

"A rag-man," she replied, promptly.

The artisan's face dropped and a pout came out. A smile though quickly
smoothed down the pout, and he exclaimed, in triumph, "Santa Claus! He's a
friend of our club! We thought we would be in season for Christmas, and
people could buy their presents of us, and--and--will you buy?"

"I will--buy--that."

"You will? I'll give you a kiss for that," and Aunt Stanshy's young lover
came up to her and in his delight gave her a kiss. Of a tuft of cotton
Charlie had made a head. Another tuft furnished a body; two more supplied
arms to work with, and two more supplied legs to stand on. Charlie put a
three-cornered hat on Santa's head and tied together the parts of his body
with a girdle of pink worsted. A card on Santa announced the fact that he
could be bought for TWO CENTS.