As suddenly as he began he stopped, for a long second there was a
strange silence. For just the space of ten heart flutters there was
amazement at this new style of address. No old soldier had ever talked
to them in that fashion. But when they saw him striding over that
stage and headed straight for William the storm broke and eddied out to
where William sat, holding in the grays, not even dreaming that at last
he was understood and forgiven.

After the last songs were sung the sun stood high. So then the great
gathering broke into little family groups that strolled off up the
roads in every direction. Here in shady spots tablecloths were spread
and soon everybody seemed to be opening a basket and the feast was on.

In half an hour all manner of things had happened. The Whitely twins
fell into some strawberry pies, and supposedly hard boiled eggs were in
many cases found to be extremely soft boiled. Boys of all sizes were
beginning to be smeared from ear to ear and two of Hen Tomlin's wife's
doughnuts were found to be quite raw inside, a discovery that so
stunned that careful lady that she never noticed Hen had taken off his
stiff linen collar, opened his shirt and tucked both it and his
undershirt into a very cool and comfortable décolleté effect.

In another half hour fat babies fell asleep where they sat, their
little fat hands holding tight to some goody. Boys old enough to
wonder about the contrariness of things mortal looked sadly at the
still inviting tables and marveled that a thoughtful and farseeing
Providence should have made a boy's stomach in so careless and
penurious a fashion.

They made as many as a dozen trials to see if by any chance some corner