alled me a liar right in this very room." He
paused, that this impressive fact might disseminate itself. Hannibal
slid forward in his seat, his earnest little face bent on Yancy.

"Why did he call you a liar, Uncle Bob?" he demanded.

"Well, I scarcely know, Nevvy, but that's what he done, and he stuck
some words in front of it that ain't fitten I should repeat."

Miss Malroy's cheeks had become very red, and Mrs. Ferris refused
to meet her eye, while the children were in a flutter of pleased
expectancy. They felt the wholly contemporary interest of Yancy's story;
he was dealing with forms of speech which prevailed and were usually
provocative of consequences more or less serious. He gave them a wide,
sunny smile.

"When Dave Blount called me that, I struck out fo' home." At this
surprising turn in the narrative the children looked their disgust, and
Mrs. Ferris shot Betty a triumphant glance. "Yes, ma'am, I struck out
across the fields fo' home, I didn't wish to hear no mo' of that loose
kind of talk. When I got home I found my old daddy setting up afo' the
fire, and he says, 'You come away early, son.' I told him what Dave
Blount had called me and he says, 'You acted like a gentleman, Bob, with
all them womenfolks about."'

"You had a very good and sensible father, Mr. Yancy. How much better
than if--" began Mrs. Ferris, who feared that the moral might elude him.

"Yes, ma'am, but along about day he come into the loft where I was
sleeping and says to me, 'Sun-up, Bob--time fo' you to haul on yo' pants
and go back yonder and fetch that Dave Blount a smack in the jaw.'" Mrs.
Ferris moved uneasily in her chair: "I dressed and come here, but when
I asked fo' Dave he wouldn't step outside, so I just lost patience with
his foolishness and took a crack at him standing where I'm standing now,
but he ducked and you can still see, ma'am"--turning to the embarrassed
Mrs. Ferris--"where my knuckles made a dint in the door-jamb. I got him
the next lick, though!"

Mr. Yancy's moral tale had reached its conclusion; it was not for him to
boast unduly of his prowess.

"Uncle Bob, you lift me up and show me them dints!" and Hannibal slipped
from his seat.

"Oh, no!" said Betty Malroy laughing. She captured the boy and drew him
down beside her on a corner of her chair. "I am sure you don't want to
see the dents--Mr. Yancy's story, children, is to teach us how important
it is to guard our words--and not give way to hasty speech