"Fine weather," said Strout.

"Sorter between," laconically replied Mandy.

"Did you enjoy the concert?" asked Strout.

"Some parts of it," said Mandy. "I thought Mr. Sawyer and Miss Putnam
were just splendid. His whistling was just grand."

"He'll whistle another kind of a tune in a few days," remarked Strout.

"What? Are you going to give another concert?" asked Mandy, looking at
him for the first time.

"If I do," replied the Professor, "you bet he won't be one of the
performers."

"Oh, I see," said Mandy, "you're mad with him 'cause he hogged the whole
show. Mr. Maxwell was just telling me as how Mr. Sawyer was going to
hire the Town Hall on Washington's birthday and bring down a big brass
band from Boston and give a concert that would put you in the shade, and
somebody was telling me, I forget who, that Mr. Sawyer don't like to sit
'round doing nothin', and he's goin' to give music lessons."

These last two untruthful shots hit the mark, as she knew they would,
and Strout, abandoning the subject, blurted out, "Where in thunder's
that Hiram? I'll be blowed if I don't believe he went to look for the
eggs first."

"I reckon he did," said Mandy, "if he means to keep on good terms with