he Center. But hurry all you can, won't
you? I'm kind of 'fraid of the springs."

"Springs? What springs? Let go my arm, will you? It's goin' to sleep."

Mrs. Beasley let go of the arm momentarily.

"I mean the springs on this carriage," she explained. "Last time I lent
it to anybody--Solon Davis, 'twas--he said the bolts underneath was
pretty nigh rusted out, and about all that held the wagon part on was
its own weight. So we'll have to be kind of careful."

"Well--I--swan--to--MAN!" was Mr. Bangs's sole comment on the amazing
disclosure; however, as an expression of concentrated and profound
disgust it was quite sufficient. He spoke but once during the remainder
of the trip to the "Center." Then, when his passenger begged to know
if "that Whittaker man" had been well since she left, he shouted:
"Yes--EVER since," and relapsed into his former gloomy silence.

The widow's stop at the Atwood house, which was in the immediate rear of
the Atwood store, was of a half hour's duration. Bailey refused to
leave the seat of the sulky and sat there, speaking to no one; not even
replying to the questions of a group of loungers who gathered to inspect
the ancient vehicle, and professed to be in doubt as to whether it had
been washed in with the tide or been "left" to him in a will.

At last Debby made her appearance, her arms filled with newspapers. The
latter she piled under the carriage seat, and then climbed to her former
place beside the driver. Henry, in response to a slap from the reins,
got under way once more. The axles squeaked and screamed.

"Gee!" cried one youngster, from the steps of the store. "It's the steam
calliope. When's the rest of the show comin'?"

"Hi!" yelled another. "See how close they're hugged up together. Ain't
they lovin'! It's a weddin'!"

"Shut up!" roared the tortured Bailey, whose hat had blown back into the
body of the sulky, leaving his bald head exposed to the cutting wind.

The audience begged him to give them a lock of his hair, and added other
remarks of a personal nature concerning the youth and beauty of the
bridal couple and their chariot. Mr. Bangs was in a state of dumb
frenzy. Debby, who, without her trumpet, had heard nothing of all this,
was smiling and garrulous.

"I found all the papers," she said. "They're right under the seat. I'm
goin' to look 'em over so's to have the interestin' parts all ready to
show Miss Dorcas when we get home. Ain't it nice I found 'em?"

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