say? Didn't let his angry passions rise, did he?"

"No-o; no, sir, he didn't rise nothin'. He didn't get mad neither. But
you could see he felt pretty bad. Talked about 'old family glass' and
'priceless airloons' or some such. Said much as he regretted to, he
should feel it no more'n justice to have somebody pay damages."

"Humph!" Captain Sol looked very grave. "Issy, I can see your finish.
You'll have to pay for somethin' that's priceless, and how are you goin'
to do that? 'Old family glass,' hey? Hum! And I thought I saw the label
of a Boston store on that package."

Obed Gott leaned forward eagerly.

"Is that Major Hardee you're talkin' about?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. He's the only Major we've got. Cap'ns are plenty as June
bugs, but Majors and Gen'rals are scarce. Why?"

"Oh, nothin'. Only--" Mr. Gott muttered the remainder of the sentence
under his breath. However, the depot master heard it and his eye
twinkled.

"You're glad of it!" he exclaimed. "Why, Obed! Major Cuthbertson Scott
Hardee! I'm surprised. Better not let the women folks hear you say
that."

"Look here!" cried Captain Stitt, rather tartly, "am I goin' to finish
that yarn of mine or don't you want to hear it?"

"BEG your pardon, Bailey. Go on. The last thing you said was what Stingy
Gabe said, and that was--"

CHAPTER III

"STINGY GABE"

"And that," said Captain Bailey, mollified by the renewed interest of
his listeners, "was, 'Bully! I'll do it!'

"So he calls a meetin' of everybody interested, at his new house. About
every respectable man in town was there, includin' me. Most of the
billiard-room gang was there, likewise. Jotham, of course, wa'n't
invited.

"Gabe calls the meetin' to order and the minister makes a speech tellin'
about the scheme. 'Our generous and public-spirited citizen, Honorable
Atkinson Holway,' had offered to build a suitable clubhouse, fix it up,
and donate it to the club, them and their heirs forever, Amen. 'Twas to
belong to the members to do what they pleased with--no strings tied to
it at all. Dues would be merely nominal, a dollar a year or some such
matter. Now, who favored such a club as that?

"Well, 'most everybody did. Daniel Bassett, chronic politician, justice
of the peace, and head of the 'Conservatives' at town meetin', he made
a talk, and in comes him and his crew. Gaius Ellis, another chronic, who
is postmaster and skipper of the 'Progressives,' had been fidgetin'
in his seat, and now