l, all things considered," said Strout, "I think it was the most
successful party ever given in this 'ere town, if I did do it."

"That's so," responded Abner sententiously. "Warn't you a bit struck up
when that city feller come in?"

"Not a bit," said Strout. "You know when I come back, you see it was so
cussed hot, yer know I said it was the heat, but I knew they wuz there.
Mrs. Mason, told me."

"Did she?" asked Abner, with wide-opened eyes. "I thought it was one on
you."

"When I went down to the road before the bugle was blown," said Strout,
"Mrs. Mason told me they was there. You see, Huldy didn't suspect
nothin' about the party and so she asked them over to tea. She sorter
expected they would go right after tea, but they got singin' songs and
tellin' stories, and Huldy saw they had come to stay."

"But," said Abner, "that city feller must have known all about it
aforehand or how could he git that cake and frozen stuff down from
Bosting so quick?"

"Didn't you say," said Strout, "that you seen them going over to
Eastborough Centre about five o'clock?"

"Yes," replied Abner, "but how did he know when it was? Some one must
have told him, I guess."

"There are times, Abner Stiles," exclaimed Strout, "when you are too
almighty inquisitive."

"Wall, I only wanted to know, so I could tell the truth when folks asked
me," said Abner.

"That's all right," said Strout. "Cuddent you guess who told him? 'Twas
that Hiram Maxwell. I've been pumping him about the city chap, and of
course, I've had to tell him somethin' for swaps. But to-morrow when I
meet him I'll tell him I don't want anythin' more to do with a
tittle-tattle tell-tale like him."

"What d'ye think of that pome 'bout the bumblebee?" drawled Abner.

"Oh, that was a put-up job," said Strout.

"How could that be?" asked Abner, "when you took it out of your own
box?"

"Well," rejoined Strout, "he'll find I'm the wustest kind of a bumblebee
if he stirs me up much more. When my dander's up a hornet's nest ain't a
patch to me."

"I kinder fancied," continued Abner, "that the reason he had them fancy
boxes sent down was because he sorter thought our pound packages would
be rather ornary."

"I guess you've hit it 'bout right," remarked Strout; "them city swells
would cheat their tailor so as to make a splurge and show how much money
they've got. I guess he thought as how I'd never seen ice cream, but I
showed him I knew all about it. I eat three sass