such occasions assumed a bustling and festive air, securing its friends
from less important quarters, engaging in animated discussions of the
cases in hand, and exhibiting an astonishing amount of legal knowledge,
using the most mystical terms in ordinary conversation, and secretly
feeling its importance a good deal.

"Sparkses" was the name of the establishment at which the travellers put
up, and, being the better of the two taverns in which the town rejoiced,
Sparkses presented indeed an enlivening spectacle. It was a large frame
house with the usual long verandah at the front, upon which verandah
there were always to be seen customers in rocking-chairs, their boots
upon the balustrade, their hands clasped easily on the tops of their
heads. During Court week these customers with their rocking-chairs and
boots seemed to multiply themselves indefinitely, and, becoming
exhilarated by the legal business transacted around them, bestirred
themselves to jocularity and argument, thus adding to the liveliness of
the occasion.

At such periods Mr. Sparkes was a prominent feature. Attired in an easy
costume seemingly composed principally of suspenders, and bearing a pipe
in his hand, he permeated the atmosphere with a business-like air which
had long stamped him in the minds of his rural guests as a person of
administrative abilities rarely equalled and not at all to be surpassed.

"He's everywhar on the place, is Sparkes," had been said of him. "He's at
dinner, 'n supper, 'n breakfast, 'n out on the porch, 'n in the bar, an'
kinder sashiatin' through the whole thing. Thet thar tavern wouldn't be
nothin' ef he wasn't thar."

It was not to be disputed that he appeared at dinner and breakfast and
supper, and that on each appearance he disposed of a meal of such
proportions as caused his countenance to deepen in colour and assume a
swelled aspect, which was, no doubt, extremely desirable under the
circumstances, and very good for the business, though it could scarcely
be said to lighten the labour of Mrs. Sparkes and her daughters, who
apparently existed without any more substantial sustenance than the
pleasure of pouring out cups of coffee and tea and glasses of milk, and
cutting slices of pie, of which they possibly partook through some
process of absorption.

To the care of Mrs. Sparkes Tom confided his charge when, a short time
after their arrival, he made his first pilgrimage for business purposes.

"She's been on the