Page:Saxe Holm's Stories, Series Two.djvu/287

Rh in his shoulder; so brave when the arm had to come off; so jolly—which was the best bravery of all—now that it had been off and buried for many a week, and he was only waiting for his discharge papers to come from Washington before starting for home.

He stood in the door-way, twirling his cap nervously in his right hand; luckily for Joe, it was the left arm which had gone.

Netty looked up.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Hale?" she said.

"Have you got a pair of red stockings here?" he said, and a gleam of respectfully restrained mirth twinkled in his bright blue eyes.

Netty laughed outright.

"To be sure I have," she said, and took them from the shelf. "Here they are. I can't find anybody who will wear them."

"I 'll take them," said Joe, holding out his right hand, cap and all. "I gave mine to Wilson; he is sort o' sick and fussy, and he was so mad with Craig for bringing them to him, it seemed to quite upset him—that and the laudanum together; so I gave him mine. I had n't put them on; and if you have n't any use for the red ones, I 'll take them, and obliged to ye. Craig said they were the last you 'd got left."

"So they are," replied Netty, laying them on the cap in Joe's hand. "I 'm very glad you don't dislike red. It 's a beautiful pair of stockings."