-"

"Hee-hee!" tittered the other. "Now that's right smart, that be. Waren't
expectin' nobody to meet you, was you? I ain't heerd of none of the
folks lookin' for visitors."

"No," said Madison. "But there's a hotel in the town, isn't there?"

"Two of 'em," said the other. "The Waalderf an' the Congress, but the
Waalderf ain't done a sight of business since we got pro'bition in the
State an' has kinder got run down. I reckon the Congress'll suit you
best if you ain't against payin' a mite more, which I reckon you ain't
for I see you come down in the parler car."

"And what," asked Madison, "does the Congress charge?"

"Well," said the other, "ordinary, it's a dollar a day or five dollars a
week, but this bein' off season an' nobody there, 'twouldn't surprise me
if Walt'ud kind of shade the price for you--Waalderf's three an' a half
a week. Them your duds up the platform? I'll drive you over for forty
cents. What was it you said your name was?"

"Forty cents is a most disinterested offer, and I accept it heartily,"
said Madison affably. "And my name's Madison--John Garfield Madison,
from New York."

"Mine's Higgins," volunteered the other. "Hiram Higgins, an' I'm
postmaster an' town constable of Needley. An' now, Mr. Madison, I
reckon we'll just get these effects of your'n onto the wagon an' move
along--folks'll be gettin' kinder rambunctious for their mail."

Hiram Higgins backed the democrat around, roped the baggage onto the
tail-board, picked up the hungry-looking mail-bag from where the mail
clerk had slung it from the car to the platform, threw it down in front
of the dashboard, and got in after it. Madison clambered into the back
seat, and they bumped off along the road.

"Had a mite of snow night before last," observed Mr. Higgins, pointing
it out with his whip, as he settled himself comfortably. "Kinder
reckoned we'd got rid of it for good till next fall till this come
along, but you can't never tell. What was it you said brought you down
here, Mr. Madison?"

Madison smiled.

"Rest and quiet--complete change," he said. "Nervous breakdown,
according to the doctors--that's what they always call it, you know,
when they can't find any other name for it. I've been overdoing it, I
suppose."

"Be that so!" returned Mr. Higgins sympathetically. "I want to know!
Well, now, that's too bad! Lookin' for quiet, be you? Well, I reckon
mabbe folks don't scurry around here quite so lively as they do in some
of t