.

"That so?" says Peter. "What's up? Hooked a prince?"

A friend of "my daughter's" over at Newport had got engaged to a
mandarin or a count or something 'nother, and the Dowager had been
preaching kind of eloquent concerning the shortness of the nobility crop
round Wellmouth.

"No," says Milo, laughing again. "Nothing like that. But I have got hold
of that antique davenport she's been dying to capture."

One of the boarders at the hotel over to Harniss had been out antiquing
a week or so afore and had bagged a contraption which answered to the
name of a "ginuwine Sheriton davenport." The dowager heard of it, and
ever since she'd been remarking that some people had husbands who cared
enough for their wives to find things that pleased 'em. She wished she
was lucky enough to have that kind of a man; but no, SHE had to depend
on herself, and etcetery and so forth. Maybe you've heard sermons
similar.

So we was glad for Milo and said so. Likewise we wanted to know where he
found the davenport.

"Why, up here in the woods," says Milo, "at the house of a queer old
stick, name of Rogers. I forget his front name--'twas longer'n the
davenport."

"Not Adoniram Rogers?" says Cap'n Jonadab, wondering.

"That's him," says Thompson.

Now, I knew Adoniram Rogers. His house was old enough, Lord knows; but
that a feller with a nose for a bargain like his should have hung on
to a salable piece of dunnage so long as this seemed 'most too tough to
believe.

"Well, I swan to man!" says I. "Adoniram Rogers! Have you seen the--the
davenport thing?"

"Sure I've seen it!" says Milo. "I ain't much of a jedge, and of course
I couldn't question Rogers too much for fear he'd stick on the price.
But it's an old davenport, and it's got Sheriton lines and I've got the
refusal of it till to-morrow, when Mrs. T's going up to inspect."

"Told Small yet?" asked Peter T., winking on the side to me and Jonadab.

Milo looked scared. "Goodness! No," says he. "And don't you tell him
neither. His wife's davenport hunting too."

"You say you've got the refusal of it?" says I. "Well, I know Adoniram
Rogers, and if _I_ was dickering with him I'd buy the thing first and
get the refusal of it afterwards. You hear ME?"

"Is that so?" repeats Milo. "Slippery, is he? I'll take my wife up there
first thing in the morning."

He walked off looking worried, and his tops'ls hadn't much more'n sunk
in the offing afore who should walk out of the billiard