e pressed into the aisle to congratulate him on his
way back to his seat. Not a few were grateful to him for another reason.
He had relieved the meeting of the necessity of taking any further
action: of putting their names, for instance, in their enthusiasm to a
paper which the first citizen might see.

Judge Graves, whose sense of a climax was acute, rapped for order.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, in a voice not wholly free from
emotion, "you will all wish to pay your respects to the famous lady, who
is with us. I see that the Rev. Mr. Sweet is present, and I suggest that
we adjourn, after he has favored us with a prayer."

As the minister came forward, Deacon Hartington dropped his head and
began to flutter his eyelids. The Rev. Mr. Sweet prayed, and so was
brought to an end the most exciting meeting ever held in Brampton town
hall.

But Miss Lucretia did not like being called "a famous lady."

CHAPTER XVI

While Miss Lucretia was standing, unwillingly enough, listening to
the speeches that were poured into her ear by various members of the
audience, receiving the incense and myrrh to which so great a celebrity
was entitled, the old soldier hobbled away to his little house as
fast as his three legs would carry him. Only one event in his life had
eclipsed this in happiness--the interview in front of the White House.
He rapped on the window with his stick, thereby frightening Cynthia half
out of her wits as she sat musing sorrowfully by the fire.

"Cousin Ephraim," she said, taking off his corded hat, "what in the
world's the matter with you?"

"You're a schoolmarm again, Cynthy."

"Do you mean to say?"

"Miss Lucretia Penniman done it."

"Miss Lucretia Penniman!" Cynthia began to think his rheumatism was
driving him out of his mind.

"You bet. 'Long toward the openin' of the engagement there wahn't
scarcely anybody thar but me, and they was a-goin'. But they come fast
enough when they l'arned she was in town, and she blew 'em up higher'n
the Petersburg crater. Great Tecumseh, there's a woman! Next to General
Grant, I'd sooner shake her hand than anybody's livin'."

"Do you mean to say that Miss Lucretia is in Brampton and spoke at the
mass meeting?"

"Spoke!" exclaimed Ephraim, "callate she did--some. Tore 'em all up.
They'd a hung Isaac D. Worthington or Levi Dodd if they'd a had 'em
thar."

Cynthia, striving to be calm herself, got him into a chair and took his
stick and straightened out