On The Mountain Top

"Hey, Sis," came Phil's voice to her, "he wants you on the 'phone!"

"Who's he?" she asked as the boy ran out to her in the garden.

They turned to the house, talking as they went.

"Well, Sis, you know who _he_ is! He's coming round here all the
time lately."

A gentle shove from the girl rewarded the boy for his teasing, but he
was not easily daunted. "Don't you remember," he said, "how that old
Mrs. Haldeman who kept tine candy store near the market house in
Lancaster used to call her husband _he_? She never called him
Mister or Mr. Haldeman, just _he_, and you could feel she would
have written it in italics if she could."

"Well, that was all right, there was only one _he_ in the world so
far as she was concerned. But do you remember, Phil, the time Mother
took us in her store to buy candy and we talked to her canary and the
old woman said, 'Ach, yes, I think still how good birds got it! I often
wish I was a canary, but then he would have to be one too!' We
disgraced Mother by giggling fit to kill ourselves. But the old woman
just smiled at us and gave us each a pink and white striped peppermint
stick. Now run along, Phil, don't be eavesdropping," she said as they
reached the hall and she sat down to answer the telephone.

"That you, Amanda?" came over the wire.

"Yes."

"Got a houseful of company? It seemed like that when we drove past.
Overflow meeting on the porch!"