"Well, he was," said Polly, "but mammy said he had to go out of
town to a consequence."

"A what!" asked Joel, very much impressed.

"A con--" repeated Polly. "Well, it began with a con--and I am
sure--yes, very sure it was consequence."

"That must be splendid," said Joel, coming up to her chair, and
slowly drawing a string he held in his hand back and forth, "to go
to consequences, and everything! When I'm a man, Polly Pepper,
I'm going to be a minister, and have a nice time, and go--just
everywhere!"

"Oh, Joel!" exclaimed Polly, quite shocked; "you couldn't be one;
you aren't good enough."

"I don't care," said Joel, not at all dashed by her plainness, "I'll be
good then--when I'm a big man; don't you suppose, Polly," as a
new idea struck him, "that Mr. Henderson ever is naughty?"

"No," said Polly, very decidedly; "never, never, never!"

"Then, I don't want to be one," said Joel, veering round with a sigh
of relief, "and besides I'd rather have a pair of horses like Mr.
Slocum's, and then I could go everywheres, I guess!"

"And sell tin?" asked Polly, "just like Mr. Slocum?"

"Yes," said Joel; "this is the way I'd go--Gee-whop! gee-whoa!"