so much as put his foot to the ground."

[Illustration: THE OWDEST MEMBER
"I mun get up to-morrow," he remarked]

"Coom," said Mrs. Tyrer, looking encouragingly at her spouse, "that's
one thing as should mak' thee feel a bit 'appier. He were takkin' on
terrible, ye know," she explained, "thinkin' Robert 'ud be crowin'
ower him at not bein' able to walk. He's allus agate o' saucin our
mester is yon--he reckons he's th' owdest member o' th' Club, an' my
'usband he's turned seventy, an' he's walked fifty-two times. Ah,
fifty-two times it were last Club Day, weren't it, Martin?"

"It were," agreed Martin, endorsing the statement with a nod; "but
Robert, he says he's walked fifty-two times, too, an' he's seventy-one
last Lady-day, an' so he reckons _he's_ th' owdest member, an' he's
ever an' allus throwin' it i' my face."

"Eh, sich a to-do as he mak's about it you'd never believe," put in
the wife, "he'll never let our Gaffer tak' a bit o' credit to
hissel'--eh, it's terrible how he goes on! I b'lieve if he were fair
deein' he'd get up an' walk sooner nor let poor Martin ha' th'
satisfaction o' sayin' he'd walked once oftener nor him. An' th' folks
has getten to laugh at 'em both, an' to set 'em on, one agin th'
t'other. At th' dinner yonder, at th' Thornleigh Arms, soombry 'll
allus get up an' call for th' 'ealth o' th' owdest member, an' then
th' two owd lads 'ull get agate o' bargin' one another, an' Upton
folks 'ull be backin' up Martin, an' th' Thornleigh folks 'ull be
backin' up Robert, an' they mak' sich a din, they say as nobry can
hear theirsel's speak."

The Doctor laughed loud and long. "Well, it must be a drawn battle
this year," he said; "certainly Wainwright will not be able to go to
the Club meeting unless he hops on one leg."

With a cheery nod he withdrew, chuckling all the way downstairs; Mrs.
Tyrer duly escorted him to the door, and then climbed slowly up again,
every step creaking beneath her weight. When she entered the sick room
she found her husband drumming on the sheets with his fingers, and
staring in front of him with a somewhat peculiar expression.

"Well," she cried, letting her ponderous person sink into the
old-fashioned elbow chair that stood by the bedside, "owd Robert, yon,
'ull ha' to keep quiet for once! He'll noan be castin' up at thee this
year as how 'tis."

Martin rolled his head from side to side, but said nothing.

"Ye'll be able to start fresh next Club Day," resumed his