oward that way, to get behind a child and lie out of your
own evil deeds!"

"I'm that much a coward and a blasPHEmer, Jake, that I 'm goin' to add
the cost of that there book of mine where you burnt up, to your
doctor's bill, unlest you pass me your promise you 'll drop this here
subjec' and not bother Tillie with it no more."

The doctor had driven his victim into a corner. To yield a point in
family discipline or to pay the price of the property he had
destroyed--one of the two he must do. It was a most untoward
predicament for Jacob Getz.

"You had no right to lend that there Book to Tillie, Doc, and I ain't
payin' you a cent fur it!" he maintained.

"I jus' mean, Jake, I 'll make out my bill easy or stiff accordin' to
the way you pass your promise."

"If my word was no more better 'n yours, Doe, my passin' my promise
wouldn't help much!"

"That's all right, Jake. I don't set up to be religious and moral. I
ain't sayed my prayers since I am old enough a'ready to know how likely
I was, still, to kneel on a tack!"

"It's no wonder you was put off of church!" was the biting retort.

"Hold up there, Jake. I wasn't put off. I WENT off. I took myself off
of church before the brethren had a chanct to PUT me off."

"Sammy!" Mr. Getz suddenly and sharply admonished his little son, who
was sharpening his slate-pencil on the window-sill with a table-knife,
"you stop right aways sharpenin' that pencil! You dassent sharpen your
slate-pencils, do you hear? It wastes 'em so!"

Sammy hastily laid down the knife and thrust the pencil into his pocket.

Mr. Getz turned again to the doctor and inquired irritably, "What is it
to YOU if I teach my own child to mind me or not, I'd like to know?"

"Because she's been bothered into a sickness with this here thing
a'ready, and it 's time it stopped now!"

"It was you started it, leavin' her lend the book off of you!"

"That's why I feel fur sparin' her some more trouble, seein' I was the
instrument in the hands of Providence fur gettin' her into all this
here mess. See?"

"I can't be sure when TO know if you're lyin' or not," said Mr. Getz
helplessly.

"Mebbe you can't, Jake. Sometimes I'm swangfid if I'm sure, still,
myself. But there's one thing you KIN be cocksure of--and that's a big
doctor-bill unlest you do what I sayed."

"Now that I know who she lent the book off of there ain't nothin' to
bother her about," sullenly granted Mr. Getz. "And as fur
punishment--she's