you for this month and for the next, and I guess, when you come to think
it over, you'll be willin' to risk soilin' your hands with the money.
It's your own fault if anybody knows that you didn't leave of your own
accord. _I_ shan't tell, and I'll see that Tidditt doesn't. Now trot!
Ase and I'll get supper ourselves."

It was evident that the ex-housekeeper had much more which she would
have liked to say. But there was that in her late employer's manner
which caused her to forbear. She slammed out of the room, and they heard
her banging things about on the floor above.

"But where--WHERE," repeated Mr. Tidditt, over and over, "did she get
that trumpet?"

The puzzle was solved soon after, when Bailey Bangs entered the house in
a high state of excitement.

"Well," he demanded, expectantly. "Did they help her? Has anything
happened?"

"HAPPENED!" began Asaph, but Captain Cy silenced him by a wink.

"Yes," answered the captain; "something's happened. Why?"

"Hurrah! I thought 'twould. She can hear better, can't she?"

"Yes, I guess it's safe to say she can."

"Good! You can thank me for it. When I see how dreadful deef she was I
wrote my cousin Eddie T, who's an optician up to Boston--you know him,