open cupola and grasp the clapper of the cast-iron bell. Then it
began to toll. The boy was an unpractised hand, and the strokes were
irregular, sometimes too slow and sometimes too rapid.

It was a signal for the procession to leave the house. Westerfelt's
eyes were glued to the one-horse wagon at the gate, for it contained
the coffin, and was moving like a thing alive. Behind it walked six
men, swinging their hats in their hands. Next followed Slogan's
rickety buggy with its threatening wheels, driven by Peter. The bent
figure of the widow in black sat beside him. Other vehicles fell in
behind, and men, women, and children on foot, carrying wild flowers,
dogwood blossoms, pink and white honeysuckle, and bunches of violets,
brought up the rear.

Westerfelt was just turning from the window, unable to stand the sight
longer, when he saw Abner Lithicum's new road-wagon, with its red
wheels and high green bed, in which sat the five women of his family,
pause at his gate. Going out on the veranda, Westerfelt saw Abner
coming up the walk, cracking his wagon-whip at the stunted rose-bushes.

"Hello!" he cried out; "I 'lowed mebby you hadn't left yet. It 'll be
a good half-hour 'fore they all get thar an' settled. The preacher
promised me this mornin' he'd wait on me an' my folks. It takes my
gals sech a' eternity to fix up when they go anywhar."

"Won't you come in?" asked Westerfelt, coldly, seeing that Lithicum did
not seem to be in any hurry to announce the object of his visit.

"Oh no, thanky'," said Lithicum, with a broad grin; "the truth is, I
clean forgot my tobacco. I knowed you wasn't a chawin' man, but yore
uncle is, an' he mought have left a piece of a plug lyin' round. My
old woman tried to git me to use her snuff as a make-shift, but lawsy
me! the blamed powdery truck jest washes down my throat like leaves in
a mill-race. I never could see how women kin set an' rub an' rub the'r
gums with it like they do. I reckon it's jest a sort o' habit."

"I'm sorry," said Westerfelt, "but I don't know where my uncle keeps
his tobacco."

"Well, I reckon I'll strike some chawin' man down at the
meetin'-house." Lithicum stood, awkwardly cutting the air with his
whip. "Railly, thar is one thing more," he said, haltingly. "Lizzie
'lowed, as thar was a' extra seat in our wagon, you might like to come
on with us. She said she had some'n' particular to tell you."

"Tell her I am not going," said Westerfel