"There, Miss Vinegar, you old liar, I won't charge anything for that
sign," he said, when he had finished. He left the bucket on the step,
and went home, chuckling all the way.

In the morning Miss Dobb saw a crowd of people in front of her house,
looking towards it and laughing. Mr. Leatherby had come out from his
shop; Mr. Noggin, the cooper, was there, smoking his pipe; also, Mrs.
Shelbarke, who lived across the street. Philip was there. "That is a
'cute trick, I vow," said he. Everybody was on a broad grin.

"What in the world is going on, I should like to know!" said Miss Dobb,
greatly wondering. "There must be something funny. Why, they are
looking at my house, as true as I am alive!"

Miss Dobb was not a woman to be kept in the dark about anything a great
while. She stepped to the front door, opened it, and with her
pleasantest smile and softest tone of voice said: "Good morning,
neighbors; you seem to be very much pleased at something. May I ask what
you see to laugh at?"

"Te-he-he-he!" snickered a little boy, who pointed to the side of the
house, and the by-standers followed his lead, with a loud chorus of
guffaws.

Miss Dobb looked upon the wall, and saw, in red letters, as if she had
gone into business, opened a store, and put out a sign,--"MISS DOBB,
LIES, SCANDAL, GOSSIP, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL."

She threw up her hands in horror. Her eyes flashed; she gasped for
breath. There was a paint-bucket and brush on the door-step; on one side
of the bucket she saw the word Chrome.

"The villain! I'll make him smart for this," she said, running in,
snatching her bonnet, and out again, making all haste towards Squire
Capias's office, to have Mr. Chrome arrested.

The Squire heard her story. There was a merry twinkling of his eye, but
he kept his countenance till she was through.

"I do not think that Mr. Chrome did it; he is not such a fool as to
leave his bucket and brush there as evidence against him; you had better
let it rest awhile," said he.

Mr. Chrome laughed when he saw the sign. "I didn't do it; I was abed and
asleep, as my wife will testify. Somebody stole my bucket and brush; but
it is a good joke on Dobb, I'll be blamed if it isn't," said he.

Who did it? That was the question.

"I will give fifty dollars to know," said Miss Dobb, her lips quivering
with anger.

Philip heard her and said, "Isn't there a fellow who sometimes helps Mr.
Chrome paint wagons?"

"Yes, I didn't think of him.