an hour. Don't separate families!"

"Well, just as you say, Squire," Mrs. Reverdy snickered, and she
submitted to pull up the chair which Mrs. Braile's glance had suggested.
"It beats all what a excitement there is in this town about the goun's on
at the camp-meetun', last night. If I've heard it from one I've heard it
from a dozen. I s'pose Abel's tol' you?"--she addressed herself
impartially to Mrs. Braile across the table and to the Squire tilted
against the wall in his chair, smoking behind his wife.

"Not a word," the Squire said, and his wife did not trouble herself to
protest; Reverdy opened his mouth in a soundless laugh at the Squire's
humor, and then filled it with bacon and corn-pone, and ducked his head in
silence over his plate. "What goings on?"

"Why, that man that came in while Elder Grove was snatchun' the brands
from the burnun', and snorted like a horse--But I _know_ Abel's tol'
you! It's just like one of your jokes, Squire Braile; ain't it, Mrs.
Braile?" Sally referred herself to one and the other.

"You won't get either of us to say, Sally," Mrs. Braile let the Squire
answer for both. "You'd better go on. I couldn't hear too often about a
man that snorted like a horse, if Abel _did_ tell. What did the
horses hitched back of the tents think about it? Any of 'em try to shout
like a man?"

"Well, you may laugh, Squire Braile," Sally said with a toss of her head
for the dignity she failed of. She slumped forward with a laugh, and when
she lifted her head she said through the victual that filled her mouth, "I
dunno what the horses thought, but the folks believe it was a apostle, or