ather to vote for Uncle Mose to
be constable, and I now nomernate him to be a constable. All in favor of
his being constable--say 'aye!'"

Amid the uproar of "ayes" that followed Monty jumped headlong from his
rostrum and would have run straight to his grandmother, had not Kitty
Keehoty caught him midway and hugged him her stoutest, crying: "Oh, you
splendidest brave boy! You did it, you did it! You never tripped once.
You never stuttered a single stutter from beginning to end! Who says you
sha'n't be President some day, an' be nomernated in a grown-up corkis?
But--my sake, Montgomery Sturtevant! You forgot the most important part.
I'll have to say that myself, 'cause it's that will count. That will be
the promise."

Another stroke of Aunt Eunice's table-bell and a white-clad little
figure was in Monty's place upon the ladder, holding up her hand for
close attention. Without preliminary she informed the audience that
there was one thing had been forgotten, and that was "the cranberries."

"Right by the head of the table is a basket of cranberries. _A cranberry
is a promise._ There's another empty basket beside the full one.
Everybody, girl or boy, who wants Uncle Moses to be constable must take
a cranberry out one basket and drop it into the other; and--_those who
don't drop cranberries can't have--ice-cream!_"

Squire Pettijohn had come--in a case of general town interest as this
seemed to be it was important the great man should be present--and it
was he who cried so loudly: "Hear! Hear!" and it was he, also, who
started the laughter which followed, and pinched Kate's cheek as she
passed him, saying something about "intimidation" and "lobbying," at
which there was more laughter--Katy wondering why.

But the laughter did not continue long, since it was surely now time for
supper; and, having swiftly decided that however little she might like
him, yet the Squire's influence might be a powerful factor in carrying
out this secretly designed plan of the children's, Miss Eunice was just
descending from her oat-bin throne to ask him to open the feast, when
another slight commotion occurred near the door. A woman screamed, and
every eye turned upon two tardy and uninvited guests, who, leading each
other as it were, now entered the scene.

Whitey, the cow, and Nate Pettijohn--tramp!

CHAPTER XXI.

A NEIGHBORLY TRICK OF THE WIND

THE silence which followed lasted for a long time, during which Whitey
stared mi