Sharon passed through a grape arbour, turning beyond it to study the site of the sun room.  All in a moment he built and peopled it.  How he hoped they would be coming along to play in there; at least three before he was too old to play with them.  He saw them now; saw them, moreover, upon the flimsiest of promises, all superbly gifted with the Whipple nose.  Then he went hopefully off toward the stables.  He came upon Wilbur Cowan inspecting a new reaper under one of the sheds.  This time the old man feigned no pounding of the boy’s back—­made no pretense that he did not hug him.

“I’m so glad, so glad, so almighty glad!” he said as they stood apart.

He did not speak with his wonted exuberance, saying the words very quietly.  But Sharon had not to be noisy to sound sincere.

“Thanks,” said Wilbur.  “Of course I couldn’t be sure how her people would——­”

“Stuff!” said Sharon.  “All tickled to death but one near-Whipple and he’s only annoyed.  But you’ve been my boy—­in my fool mind I always had you for my boy, when you was little and when you went to war.  You could of known that, and that was enough for you to know.  Of course I never did think of you and Pat.  That was too gosh-all perfect.  Of course I called her a rattlepate, but she was my girl as much as you was my boy.”

The old eyes shone mistily upon Wilbur, then roved to the site of his dream before he continued.

“Me?  I’m getting on—­and on.  Right fast, too.  But you—­you and that fine girl—­why, you two are a new morning in a new world, so fresh and young and proud of each other, the way you are!” He hesitated, his eyes coming back.  “Only thing I hope for now—­before I get bedfast or something—­say, take a look at the space between them south wings—­stand over this way a mite.”  Sharon now built there, with the warmest implications, a perfect sun room.  “That’ll be one grand place,” he affirmed of his work when all was done.

“Yes, it sounds good,” replied Wilbur.

“Oh, a grand place, big as outdoors, getting any sun there is—­great for winter, great for rainy days!” Wistfully he searched the other’s face.  “You know, Buck, a grand place to—­play in, or anything like that.”

“Yes, sir,” said Wilbur.

THE END