face and body as she fell on her knees before the Sultan. "Chick, chick,
chick," she wooed, in the words that Pan had used to command, and with a
delight equal to hers in the introduction, the Bird came toward her. "Oh,
please, sir, Mr.--Mr. Berry, get me some corn quick--quick! I want to
squeeze him once," she demanded of Matthew, confident where she had before
been fearful. His response was long-limbed and enthusiastic, so that in a
few seconds Mr. G. Bird stood pecking grains from her hand. The spectacle
was so lovely that I was not at all troubled by twinges of jealousy, but
enjoyed it, for even at that early moment I think I felt a mercenary
interest in seeing the friendship between the Golden Bird and the
Apple-Blossom sealed. In her I psychologically scented an ally, and I
enjoyed the hug bestowed upon him fully as much or even more than he did.
It was a lovely picture that the kiddie made as she knelt at our feet with
the white fluff balls and wings whirring and clucking around her.

"Yes; let's go into the chicken business, Ann," said Matthew, as his eyes
danced with artistic pleasure. "You love 'em, don't you, Miss--Miss
Corn-tassel?" he asked, with teasing delight in his voice as well as in his
eyes.

"Yes sir," she answered as she looked up at him merrily, all fear of him
gone.

"Say, what do you think of going into the business with your Uncle Matthew
if Ann refuses to sell a half interest in hers to me?" he asked of her in
his jolly booming voice, with a smile many inches wide across his face.
"I'll put up the capital, you put up the work, and we'll take all the
prizes away from Ann."

"I don't want to take the prizes from Miss Ann. I'd rather have Reds so we