ng way. "An' you say to de Doctor, dat
when he wants to take a pair ob houns away from yar agin he better jes
tell me. I done sarch four days fuh dem houns. I neber dream de Doctor
hed 'em. I nearly hed a fite wid John McCune's boys kase I cused dem ob
kidnapin' de houns. Now I mus' go ober an' tell John de Doctor hed de
dawgs all de time."

The six dollars were given to the mother. Lin declared Alfred the best
boy in the world and one who, "ef he had the chance, could take keer of
himself."

A few days later Cousin Charley brought Alfred a fine pair of white and
blue pigeons in a nice little box. After talking on many subjects
Charley came to the real object of his visit. He stated that he had
bought the two hounds from a man whom he did not know. He paid the man
the cash for the dogs. Now he had learned that the dogs had been stolen
from Turner Simpson and he felt it his duty to restore them to their
rightful owner.

Lin was washing dishes at the beginning of Charley's talk. She seated
herself on the table--a favorite position of Lin's--and nodded approval
at the end of every sentence Charley uttered. When _he_ concluded, Lin
began:

"I'll be tee-to-tall-y dog-goned ef this haint the mos' curious
sarcumstance thet's ever kum up. Now a man--and Lin emphasized each word
with the laying of the forefinger of her right hand into the palm of her
chubby left--stole Turner Simpson's houns. Ye say ye bought 'em--nodding
at Charley--ye didn't know they wus stole. Ye gin the houns to Alfurd.
Now ye kum after the dogs; ye has to gin the houns back to Turner
Simpson. Ye furgit who ye got the houns from an' can't git yer money
back, ye're out jus thet much. Now s'posin' Alfurd sole them air houns
to Doctor Bob Playford--Charley crimsoned--an' the Doctor says 'Yere
Alfurd, yers a dollar, carry the houns to Turner Simpson's' an' Alfurd
'ud do hit, then yer conscience 'ud be easy, wouldn't hit?'"

"Yes um," meekly answered Charley, "but I don't think Bob Playford wants
to buy any houns, he has a plenty, 'bout twenty I reckon."

Lin smiled as she informed Cousin Charley that "he hed twenty-two by
this time. An' let me tell ye sumthin' further: Ef ye're tradin' in
birds or pigins or whatever ye call 'em, ye better fin' sum other feller
to handle 'em kase Alfurd's got on a swappin' canter an' it'll be hard
to head him." Lin laughed long and heartily. Cousin Charley mumbled
something about the principle of the thing as he left the