to Make Love--How to Win the Affections--How to Hold Them When Won," and
although he had read the pages often before, he found in all parts of the book,
whenever he read it, a new meaning. It occurred to him that even a book agent
might have reason to use the helpful words set for in clear type in the chapter
on "Courtship--How to Make Love," and he realized that sometime he must reach
the age when he would need a home of his own. For years he had thought of woman
only as a possible customer for Jarby's Encyclopedia. Every woman, not already
married, he now saw, might be a possible Mrs. Eliph' Hewlitt.

Suddenly he raised his head. On the breeze there was borne to him the sound of
voices--many voices. He closed the book with a bang. His small body became
tense; his eyes glittered. He scented prey. He wrapped the book in its oilcloth,
laid it upon the buggy seat, and taking Irontail by the bridle, started in the
direction of the voices.

Half a mile down the road he came upon a scene of merriment. In a cleared grove
men, women and children were gathered; it was a church picnic. Eliph' Hewlitt
took his hitching strap from beneath the buggy seat and secured Irontail to a
tree.

"Church picnic," he said to himself; "one, two, sixteen, twenty-four, AND the
minister. Good for twelve copies of Jarby's Encyclopedia or I'm no good myself.
I love church picnics. What so lovely as to see the pastor and his flock
gathered together in a bunch, as I may say, like ten-pins, ready to be scooped
in, all at one shot?"

He walked up to the rail fence and leaned against it so that he might be seen
and invited in. It was better policy than pushing himself forward, and it gave
him time to study the faces. He did not find them hopeful subjects. They were
not the faces of readers. They were not even the faces of buyers. Even in their