brother o' mine ez they hev Reub. But ye be cap'n, Perez, an it shel
be ez ye say. The boys kin try ther fiddles on Squire Edwards instid."

"No. Not there, Abner," said Perez, quickly.

"Wy not, I sh'd like ter know. His wife ain't sick, be she?"

"No, that is I don't know," said Perez, his face flushing a little
with the difficulty of at once thinking of any plausible reason. "You
see," he finally found words to say, "the store is so near Squire
Woodbridge's, that the noise might disturb Madam Woodbridge."

"She muss hev dum sharp ears, ef she kin hear much at that distance,"
observed Abner, "but it shell be as ye say, Cap'n. I s'pose ye've
nothin agin our givin Sheriff Seymour a little mewsick."

"As much as you please, Abner."




CHAPTER THIRTEENTH

A PRAISE MEETING


As a fever awakes to virulent activity the germs of disease in the
body, so revolution in the political system develops the latent
elements of anarchy. It is a test of the condition of the system. The
same political shock which throws an ill-constituted and unsound