e and an honor, as Jud
Carpenter expressed it, to drink with him.

"It is a good idea to mingle with them now and then," whispered
Travis to Charley. "It keeps me solid with them--health, gentlemen!"

Charley Biggers showed his good-natured teeth:

"Health, gentlemen," he grinned.

Then he hiccoughed through his weak little nose.

"Joe Hopper can't rise, gentlemen, Joe is drunk, an'--an' a widderer,
besides," hiccoughed Joe from below.

Joe had been a widower for a year. His wife, after being the mother
of eleven children, who now supported Joe in his drunkenness, had
passed away.

Then Joe burst into tears.

"What's up, Joe?" asked Jud kindly.

"Liza's dead," he wailed.

"Why, she's been dead a year," said Jud.

"Don't keer, Jud--I'm jes'--jes' beginnin' to feel it now"--and he
wept afresh.

It was too much for Charley Biggers, and he also wept. Travis looked
fixedly at the ceiling and recited portions of the Episcopal burial
service. Then Jud wept. They all wept.

"Gentlemen," said Travis solemnly, "let us drink to the health of the
departed Mrs. Hopper. Here's to her!"

This cheered all except Joe Hopper--he refused to be comforted. They
tried to console him, but he only wept the more. They went on
drinking and left him out, but this did not tend to diminish his
tears.

"Oh, Mister Hopper, shet up," said Jud peremptorily--"close up--I've
arranged for you to marry a grass-widder."

This cheered him greatly.

"O Jud--Jud--if I marry a grass-widder whut--whut'll I be then?"

"Why? a grasshopper, sure," said Travis.

They all roared. Then Jud winked at Travis and Travis winked at the
others. Then they sat around a table, all winking except poor Joe,
who continued to weep at the thought of being a grasshopper. He did
not quite understand how it was, but he knew that in some way he was
to be changed into a grasshopper, with long green wings and legs to
match.

"Gentlemen," said Jud seriously--"it is our duty to help out po' Joe.
Now, Joe, we've arranged it for you to marry Miss Kate Galloway--the
grass-widder."

"Not Miss Kate," said Travis with becoming seriousness.

"Why not her, Mr. Travis?" asked Jud, winking.

"Because his children will be Katydids," said Travis.

This brought on thundering roars of laughter and drinks all around.
Only Joe wept--wept to think his children would be katydids.

"Now, Joe, it's this way. I've talked it all over and arranged it.
That's what we've met for