firm and at last the captain yielded. But his keen
disappointment was plainly evident. He said but little during his stay
at the boarding-house and went home early, glum and disconsolate. At the
Parker domicile he found Kenelm and his sister in a heated argument.

"I don't care, Hannah," vowed Kenelm. "I'm a-goin' to that Fair, no
matter if I do have to go alone. Didn't you tell me I was goin'? Didn't
you put me up to askin' for the day off? Didn't you--"

"Never mind what I did. I give in I had planned for you to go, but that
was when I figgered on you and me goin' together. Now that Mr. Hammond
has invited me to go along with him--"

Captain Obed interrupted. "Hello! Hello!" he exclaimed. "What's this?
Has Caleb Hammond offered to go gallivantin' off to the Ostable Cattle
Show along with you, Hannah? Well, well! Wonders'll never cease. Caleb's
gettin' gay in his old age, ain't he? Humph! there'll be somethin' else
for the postoffice gang to talk about, first thing you know. Hannah, I'm
surprised!"

Miss Parker colored and seemed embarrassed. Her brother, however, voiced
his disgust.

"Surprised!" he repeated. "Huh! That's nuthin' to what I am. I'm more'n
surprised--I'm paralyzed. To think of that tightfisted old fool lettin'
go of money enough to hire a horse and team and--"

"Kenelm!" Hannah's voice quivered with indignation. "Kenelm Parker! The
idea!"

"Yes, that's what I say, the idea! Here's an old critter--yes, he is
old, too. He's so nigh seventy he don't dast look at the almanac for
fear he'll find it's past his birthday. And he's always been so tight
with money that he'd buy second-hand postage stamps if the Gov'ment
wouldn't catch him. And his wife's been dead a couple of hundred year,
more or less, and yet, by thunder-mighty, all to once he starts in--"

"Kenelm Parker, you stop this minute! I'm ashamed of you. Mr. Hammond's
a real, nice, respectable man. As to his money--well, that's his
business anyhow, and, besides, he ain't hirin' the horse and buggy; he's
goin' to borrow it off his nephew over to the Centre. His askin' me to
go is a real neighborly act."

"Huh! If he's so plaguy neighborly why don't he ask me to go, too? I'm
as nigh a neighbor as you be, ain't I?"

"He don't ask you because the buggy won't hold but two, and you know
it. I should think you'd be glad to have me save the expense of my fare.
Winnie S. would charge me fifty cents to take me to the depot, and the
fare on the excur