oys were addressing Alfred as "Doctor," usually
prefixing the title with the word "Cow," she said: "They needn't try to
plague Alfurd, caus' it wus a durn good joke an' besides it cured the
cow and it wus about time Hurd's paper done somethin' good."

Alfred had saved sufficient money to cancel the note of Sammy Steele.
With a light step he ran up the stairs leading from the street into the
large finishing room. Greeting all cheerily he inquired for the boss.
Mr. Steele entered.

Looking curiously at Alfred, with a twinkle in his eye, the old tanner
remarked dryly: "Hurd--Mr. Hurd--Mr. Hurd--must be gettin' mightily
pushed when he starts his hands to peddling pills."

Mr. Steele's remark made the boy redden and he mumbled something about
the pills being received in trade and had to be sold by somebody.

The tanner laughingly continued: "I expected to see Johnny McCan coming
in with a murn hide. How many of Hurd's pills constitute a dose for a
cow?"

Cooney Brashear added to the jollity by suggesting that Alfred "give
Sammy's mewel a dose the next time he kicks you." This reference to the
"mewel" was only a reverberation of the town talk as Lin had predicted.
In fact, the reference to the "mewel" kicking Alfred became, and is
still, a by-word in the old town.

Mr. Steele, to the surprise of Alfred, refused to count the dollars and
dimes he poured from the old leather purse on the desk. Instead the man
bid the boy "keep the money until the note was due, then bring it here,
not a day before nor a day after. If you think you are going to die,
leave directions to pay the debt. The man who pays beforehand shows
himself a weakling, he is afraid of himself, he is afraid he cannot hold
the money. He usually spends his money before he earns it."

It was a great day for Brownsville and the leading journal of the town,
the _Brownsville Clipper_. Two circuses were headed for the town;
Rosston, Springer & Henderson's and Thayer & Noyse Great American
Circus.

The agent of the first named show was first in, Andy Springer, "Old
Rough Head." The agent was aware of the coming opposition although he
never mentioned it. His contract for advertising space in the _Clipper_
had a clause to the effect that no other circus advertising or reading
matter should appear in the columns of the great family paper prior to
the date of the exhibition of the R. S. & H. aggregation.

Harrison made this "slick contract" as he termed it. He charge