"Eh, what? Upon my honor it is! Why, Carter, my boy, how are
you? Eh, what? Miss Milton, too, I declare! Well, now, what a
pity Annie didn't come!"

I disagreed. I hate Annie. But I was very glad to see my friend
and neighbor, Robert Dinnerly. He's a sensible man--his wife's a
little prig.

"Oh, Mr. Dinnerly," cried Miss Milton, "how funny that you should
come just now? I was just trying to remember the name of a man
Mrs. Dinnerly told me about. I was telling Mr. Carter about him.
You know him."

"Well, Miss Milton, perhaps I do. Describe him."

"I don't believe Annie ever told me his name, but she was talking
about him at our house yesterday."

"But I wasn't there, Miss Milton."

"No," said Miss Milton, "but he's got the next place to yours in
the country."

I positively leaped from my seat.

"Why, good gracious, Carter himself, you mean?" cried Dinnerly,
laughing. "Well, that is a good un--ha-ha-ha!"

She turned a stony glare on me.