"Is that so?" repeats Milo. "Slippery, is he? I'll take my wife up there
first thing in the morning."

He walked off looking worried, and his tops'ls hadn't much more'n sunk
in the offing afore who should walk out of the billiard room behind us
but Eddie Small.

"Brown," says he to Peter T., "I want you to have a horse and buggy
harnessed up for me right off. Mrs. Small and I are going for a little
drive to--to--over to Orham," he says.

'Twas a mean, black night for a drive as fur as Orham and Peter looked
surprised. He started to say something, then swallered it down, and told
Eddie he'd see to the harnessing. When Small was out of sight, I says:

"You don't cal'late he heard what Milo was telling, do you, Peter?" says
I.

Peter T. shook his head and winked, first at Jonadab and then at me.

And the next day there was the dickens to pay because Eddie and the
Duchess had driven up to Rogers' the night afore and had bought the
davenport, refusal and all, for twenty dollars more'n Milo offered for
it.

Adoniram brought it down that forenoon and all hands and the cook was on
the hurricane deck to man the yards. 'Twas a wonder them boarders didn't
turn out the band and fire salutes. Such ohs and ahs! 'Twan't nothing
but a ratty old cripple of a sofy, with one leg carried away and most