ople said that Jack Wonnell, being a poor man, could not buy all
the fashions, and was merely wearing out a bargain; that he knew he was
ridiculous, and set no such conceit on his absurdity as that grim
Milburn; and they rather enjoyed his playing the Dromio to that
Antipholus, and turning into farce the comedy of Meshach's error.

Jack Wonnell had partly embraced his bargain by the example of Meshach.
A frivolous, unambitious, childish fellow, amusing people, obliging
people, running errands, driving stage, gardening, fishing, playing with
the lads, courting poor white bound girls, incontinent, inoffensive, he
had been impelled to bid off his lot of old hats by Jimmy Phoebus
saying:

"Jack, dirt cheap! Last you all your life! Better hats than old Meshach
Milburn's. You'll drive his'n out of town."

To his infinite amusement and dignity, his appearance in the bell-crown
hats attracted the severe regard of Milburn, and set the little town on
a grin. The joke went on till Jimmy Phoebus, Judge Custis, and some
others prompted Jack Wonnell, with the promise of a gallon of whiskey,
to ask Meshach to trade the steeple-top for the bell-crown. The intense
look of outrage and hate, with the accompanying menace his townsman
returned, really frightened Jack, and he had prudently avoided Milburn
ever since, while keeping as close a watch upon his movements and
whereabouts as upon some incited bull-dog, liable to appear anywhere.

In this way Jack Wonnell had followed Meshach to the court-house corner,
where stood Judge Custis's brick bank--which, of late, had done little
discounting--and, from the open space between it and the court-house in
its rear, he peeped after Milburn up the main cross street, called
Prince William Street, which stopped right at Judge Custis's gate.
There, in the quiet of early afternoon, he heard the knocker sound, saw
the door open, and beheld the Entailed Hat disappear in the great
doorway. Then, scarcely believing himself, Wonnell ran back to the
tavern, and exclaimed:

"May I be struck stone dead ef ole Meshach ain't gwyn in to the
Jedge's!"

"You're a liar!" said Jimmy Phoebus, promptly, catching Jack by the
back of the neck, and pushing his bell-crown down till it mashed over
his nose and eyes, "What do you mean by tellin' a splurge like that?"

"I seen him, Jimmy," was the bell-crowned hero's smothered cry; "if I
didn't, hope I may die!"

"What did he go there for?"

"I can't tell, Jimmy,