But just here she was interrupted by a sally from around the corner
of the Pike house which streamed out across the Road, headed
precisely in their direction. Eliza was in the lead and held little
Teether swung perilously across one slender hip, while she clasped
Martin Luther's chubby fingers in her other hand. And behold, the
transformation of the young stranger was complete beyond belief! His
yellow thatch was crowned by a straw hat, which was circled by a
brand new shoestring, though it gaped across the crown to let out a
peeping curl. Young Ez's garments even had proved a size too large
and the faded blue jeans "britches" were rolled up over his round
little knees and hitched up high under his arms by an improvised
pair of calico "galluses" which were stretched tight over a clean
but much patched gingham shirt. His feet and legs had been stripped
in accordance with the time-ordered custom in Providence that bare
feet could greet May Day, and his little, bare, pink toes curled up
with protest against the roughness of even the dust-softened pike.
Susie May, Billy and young Ez beamed with pride at their share in
the rehabiting of the recent acquisition and waited breathlessly for
words of praise from Miss Wingate and the Doctor.

"Why, who is this?" asked the Doctor quickly with a most gratifying
interest in his big voice, while Miss Wingate came out of the gate
on to the pavement.

"It's the little missionary boy that the Deacon brought Mother
Mayberry. I guess the Lord sent him, for he's too big to come outen
a cabbage," answered Eliza, and as she spoke she settled the hat an
inch farther down over the curls with a motherly gesture. She had
failed to grasp with exactness the situation concerning the advent
of Martin Luther, but was supplying a version of her own that seemed