zactly 'propriate to this
occasion."

"Now you back up, Eben," commanded Given. "You let him spout. It sounds
purty good to me, whether there's any sense to it or not."

"What was I sayin'?" asked the deacon. "Where did I leave off? You
kinder interrupted my train of discourse, Eben. Mebbe I'd better stop."

"There's a lady coming to join our party," said Bart Hodge. "I think
it's your wife, Eli."

"My w-h-a-t?" gasped Eli Given, actually turning pale. "Where is she?
Great scissors! If she ever gits her hands on me now, I see my finish!"

A woman, with a sunbonnet dangling by the strings tied beneath her chin,
was coming down the road in a hurried manner. With some difficulty Eli
finally discovered her.

"That's Mrs. Given as sure as Adam ett the apple!" he exclaimed. "I
don't believe she's seen me. Boys, I've gut to go, and I've gut to go in
a hurry, too."

"Well, don't you think I'm goin' to hang around for her to git holt of
me," said Uncle Eb, as he started toward the corner of the house,
hobbling along as fast as his legs and his cane could carry him.

"I think perhaps I'd better go, too," muttered the deacon, as he
followed Eben's example.

In spite of the start of his companions, Given passed them on a run and
turned the corner, making straight for the stable. The three old chaps
legged it into that building and disappeared from view.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Given had seen them, and she was not far behind when
they vanished through the wide-open door. She found Uncle Eb propped up
with his cane, standing in a dark corner of a box stall.

"Eben Small," she said, as she shook her fingers in his face, "you're a
disgrace to the community! Now, not a word! Don't speak! I know what
you've been doing, you and my husband and Elnathan Hewett! You've been
drinking hard cider at Rufus Applesnack's store! I'm going to take Eli
home, and I'll give him a dressing down he won't soon forgit! I tell ye
not to speak! You ain't gut nuthin' to say!"

She then lifted her voice and called for her husband to come forth. As
there was no response, she looked into the crib, and there she found
Elnathan curled up, pretending to be fast asleep.

"Deacon Hewett," she said, "you've posed as an example to the community.
Now don't snore! I know you're awake! You can't fool me? So you will
continue to snore, will ye?"

There was a squawk from the deacon, for she had seized him by the nose
and given it a twist that brought him uprigh