argument.
Theodora then urged that Halse might be allowed to go and made to
promise in advance not to take up the gun at all while we were gone.
Addison retorted that those might trust his promises who wished, but
that he would not.

Wealthy, whom grandmother judged too young to go, at length told
Halstead of the proposed trip and informed him that he, at least, would
have to stay at home with her. Thereupon Halstead began to question me
in our room at night about the trip. I told him bluntly that Gramp did
not think it prudent for him to go, lest he should make trouble.

"So I've got to stay at home and work!" he exclaimed bitterly.

"Well, you might behave better when you are out, then," I said. "It's
your own fault."

"What have I done?" he exclaimed.

"Picked a quarrel with 'Enoch' on Fourth o' July," said I, to refresh
his memory.

"I don't care; he stoned me!" Halse exclaimed.

"But you began the fuss," I put in.

"Oh, you say that because Ad does. You and he are about alike!" cried
Halse, angrily.

"Then there was town-meeting night," I went on to say. "I think you came
home intoxicated that night; I think you had been gambling, too."

"You say that again and I'll thrash you!" exclaimed Halse, now very hot.

"Well, I think so, or I shouldn't say it," I repeated.

In an instant Halse was upon me, as I sat on the side of our bed, and
there was an unseemly scuffle. Halse was the larger, and I think that I
would have gotten the worst of the squabble, but at this juncture,
Addison, hearing the racket, rushed in from his room and pulled us
apart.

"Who began this row?" quoth our separator.

"I did, and I'll thrash him!" shouted Halse. "He said I was drunk
town-meeting night."

"Well, you were," said Addison. "We all know that."

Halse then tried to throw a boot at Addison who set him down violently
in a chair.

"Do you know what I would do with you, if I were in the Old Squire's
place?" cried Addison. "I would put you at the Reform School, you little
rowdy!"

Up jumped Halse to seize the other boot to throw, but was set down
again, this time so hard that the whole room shook. He sat panting a
moment, then began to whimper. Theodora came to the door.

"Oh, boys," said she in a low voice, "please don't. Do try not to
disturb Gramp to-night; he is very tired and has just gone to bed."

I suppose that we all felt ashamed of ourselves. I did; for I knew that
I had been somewhat to blame, to provo