was great commotion at the farm; Josephine's feet said _whrr_ under
her skirt. The manufacturer arrived with a porter; his wife and children
went far down the road to meet him, and the visitors at the resort sallied
forth too.

"Good morning!" he greeted us with a great flourish of his hat. He won us
all over. He was big and friendly, fat and cheerful, with the broad good
cheer that plenty of money gives. He became good friends with us at once.

"How long are you staying, Daddy?" his little girls asked, as they clung
to him.

"Three days."

"Is that all!" said his wife.

"Is that all?" he replied, laughing. "That's not such a short time, my
dear; three days is a lot for me."

"But not for me and the children," she said.

"Three whole days," he repeated. "I can tell you I've had to do some
moving to be able to stay as quiet as this, ha, ha!"

They all went in. The manufacturer had been here before and knew the way
to his wife's cottage. He ordered soda water at once.

In the evening, when the children had gone to bed, the manufacturer and
his wife joined us in the living room; he had brought whisky with him for
the gentlemen, and ordered soda water; for the ladies he had wine. It was