her embroidery again. "What on earth possesses you to do it? The boy
isn't even interesting in his badness."

"He's got the face either of a great leader or a great criminal," said
Seaton, shaking out his paper. "He makes me so mad I could tan his
hide every ten minutes, but I'm going to see the thing through. It's
the first time in three years I've felt interested in anything."

Quick tears sprang to his wife's eyes. "I'm so glad to have you feel
that way, John, that I'll swallow even this impossible boy. What makes
him so ugly? Did he want to go to reform school?"

"God knows what any boy of his age wants!" replied John briefly. "But
I'm going to try in the next three weeks to find out what's frozen him
up so."

"Well, I'll dress him so that he won't disgrace you."

Mrs. Seaton smiled and sighed and went on with her careful stitching.

Nobody tried to talk to Nucky at the breakfast table. After the meal
was over and Mr. Seaton had left for the office, the boy sat looking
out of the window until Mrs. Seaton announced herself ready for the
shopping expedition. Then he followed her silently to the waiting
automobile.

The little woman took great care in buying the boy's outfit. The task
must Have been painful to her. Only three years before she had been
buying clothes for Jack from this same clerk. But Mary Seaton was a
good soldier and she did a good job. When they reached home in