"They won't BE done till you go, Ase," continued the master of the
house. "She'll stay with us till the last gun fires. T'other day
Angie Phinney called and I turned Debby loose on her. I didn't believe
anything could wear out Angie's talkin' machinery, but she did it.
Angeline stayed twenty minutes and then quit, hoarse as a crow."

Here the widow joined in the conversation, evidently under the
impression that nothing had been said since she last spoke. Continuing
her favorable comments on the weather she observed that she was glad
there was so little fog, because fog was hard for folks with "neuralgy
pains." Her brother's wife's cousin had "neuralgy" for years, and
she described his sufferings with enthusiasm and infinite detail. Mr.
Tidditt answered her questions verbally at first; later by nods and
shakes of the head. Captain Cy fidgeted in his chair.

"Come on outdoor, Ase," he said at last. "No use to wait till she runs
down, 'cause she's a self-winder, guaranteed to keep goin' for a year.
Good-night!" he shouted, addressing Mrs. Beasley, and heading for the
door.

"Where you goin'?" asked the old lady.

"No. Yes. Who said so? Hooray! Three cheers for Gen'ral Scott! Come on,
Ase!" And the captain, seizing his friend by the arm, dragged him into
the open air, and slammed the door.

"Are you crazy?" demanded the astonished town clerk. "What makes you
talk like that?"

"Might as well. She wouldn't understand it any better if 'twas