back to New York the very fust hard
work I done was to go an' buy the hull rig-out--an'," he added with a
grin, "strange as it may appear, it ain't wore out _yit_."

CHAPTER XXVII.

"People don't dress for dinner in Homeville, as a rule, then," John
said, smiling.

"No," said Mr. Harum, "when they dress fer breakfust that does 'em fer
all three meals. I've wore them things two three times when I've ben
down to the city, but I never had 'em on but once up here."

"No?" said John.

"No," said David, "I put 'em on _once_ to show to Polly how city folks
dressed--he, he, he, he!--an' when I come into the room she set forwud
on her chair an' stared at me over her specs. 'What on airth!' she says.

"'I bought these clo'es,' I says, 'to wear when bein' ent'tained by the
fust fam'lies. How do I look?' I says.

"'Turn 'round,' she says. 'You look f'm behind,' she says, 'like a
red-headed snappin' bug, an' in front,' she says, as I turned agin,
'like a reg'lar slinkum. I'll bet,' she says, 'that you hain't throwed
away less 'n twenty dollars on that foolishniss.' Polly's a very
conserv'tive person," remarked her brother, "and don't never imagine a
vain thing, as the Bible says, not when she _knows_ it, an' I thought it
wa'n't wuth while to argue the point with her."

John laughed and said, "Do you recall that memorable interview between
the governors of the two Carolinas?"

"Nothin' in the historical lit'riture of our great an' glorious
country," replied Mr. Harum reverently, "sticks closter to my mind--like
a burr to a cow's tail," he added, by way of illustration. "Thank you,
jest a mouthful."

"How about the dinner?" John asked after a little interlude. "Was it
pleasant?"

"Fust rate," declared David. "The young folks was out somewhere else,
all but one o' Price's girls. The' was twelve at the table all told. I
was int'duced to all of 'em in the parlor, an' putty soon in come one of
the fellers an' said somethin' to Mis' Price that meant dinner was
ready, an' the girl come up to me an' took holt of my arm. 'You're goin'
to take me out,' she says, an' we formed a procession an' marched out to
the dinin' room. 'You're to sit by mammer,' she says, showin' me, an'
there was my name on a card, sure enough. Wa'al, sir, that table was a
show! I couldn't begin to describe it to ye. The' was a hull flower
garden in the middle, an' a worked tablecloth; four five glasses of all
colors an' sizes at ev'ry plate, an' a