must promise me this, or the last end of the quarrel will be worse
than the first."

"I haven't said I was willing to see him," Mr. Wright broke out; "I'm
_not_ willing! Is it likely that I would hanker after an interview?
All I want is to get the boy away from Old Chester; to 'see the
world.' His--father ought to sympathize with that! Yes; to get him
away, I would even--But if you will tell his--relatives, that in my
judgment, he ought to go away, that is all that is necessary."

"No! You must urge it yourself," Dr. Lavendar said eagerly. "Put it on
the ground of calf-love, if you want to. I'll tell Samuel you want to
get Sam out of town because you're afraid he's falling in love with
Mrs. Richie; and you'd like to consult him about it."

But the old man began a scrabbling retreat. "No! No!" he said, putting
on his hat with shaking hands. "No, don't tell anybody anything. I'll
find some other way out of it. Let it go. Seeing his--relatives is a
last resource. If they are so virtuous as to object to plays, I'll try
something else. Object?" he repeated, "Gad-a-mercy! My discipline was
successful!" He grinned wickedly.

Dr. Lavendar made no reply. The interview had been a strain, and he
got up a little feebly. Benjamin Wright, as he saw him to the door,
swore again at some misdemeanor on the part of Simmons, but was not
rebuked.

The old minister climbed into his buggy, and told Goliath to "g'long."
As he passed the Stuffed Animal House, he peered through the little
dusty window of the hood; but David was not in sight.