anythin', so folks won't think that I don't know where
the p'int domes in. But say, Mandy, what did Pettengill go to the city
for?"

During this conversation Hiram had been eating the breakfast that had
been prepared for Ezekiel. Mandy sat down near him and said, "I'll tell
you, but it ain't nothing to laugh at. Mr. Pettengill had a telegraph
message come last night."

"You don't say so!" said Hiram. "It must be pretty important for persons
to spend money that way. Nobody dead, I s'pose?"

"Well," said Mandy, "Mr. Pettengill left the telegram in his room and I
had to read it to see whether I had to throw it away or not, and I
remember every word that was in it."

Hiram asked earnestly, "Well, what was it? Is his sister Alice goin' to
get married?"

Mandy answered, "No, she is sick and she wanted him to come right up to
Boston at once to see her."

Hiram said, "'Zekiel must think a powerful lot of that sister of his'n.
Went right off to Boston without his breakfast."

"I guess it would have to be something nearer than a sister to make you
do that," said Mandy. "I don't know but one thing, Hiram, that would
make you go without your feed."

"What's that, Mandy?" said he. "You?"

"No," replied Mandy, "a famine."

"You ain't no sort of an idea as to what's the matter with her, have
you?" he asked.

"No, I haven't," said Mandy, "and if I had I don't imagine I would tell
you. Now you better run right home, little boy, for I have to go
upstairs and do the chamber work."

She whisked out of the room, and Hiram, helping himself to a couple of
apples, left the house and walked slowly along the road towards
Eastborough Centre.

Suddenly he espied a man coming up the road and soon saw it was Quincy
Adams Sawyer.

"Just the feller I wanted to see," soliliquized Hiram.

As Quincy reached him he said, "Mr. Sawyer, I want to speak to you a
minute or two. Come into Pettengill's barn, there's nobody to hum but
Mandy and she's upstairs makin' the beds."

They entered the barn and sat down on a couple of half barrels that
served for stools.

"Mr. Sawyer, you've treated me fust rate since you've been here and I
want to do you a good turn and put you on your guard."

Quincy laughed.

Hiram continued, "Well, maybe you won't laugh if Bob Wood tackles you. I
won't tell you how I found it out for I'm no eavesdropper, but keep your
eye on Bob Wood and look out he don't play no mean tricks on you."

Quincy remarked, "I s