James, who had acted as accompanist on the tin-panny old
piano, was putting up her music. The Professor, with his face wreathed
in smiles, walked up to her and said, "I tell you what, Miss James, that
last composition of mine is bang up. One of these days, when the 'Star
Spangled Banner,' 'Hail Columbia,' and 'Marching through Georgia' are
laid upon the top shelf and all covered with dust, one hundred million
American freemen will be singing Strout's great national anthem, 'Hark,
and hear the Eagle Scream.' What do you think of that prophecy?"

"I think," said Miss James, turning her pretty face towards him, her
black eyes snapping with fun, "that if conceit was consumption, there'd
be another little green grave in the cemetery with O. Strout on the
headstone."

The Professor never could take a joke. In his eye, jokes were always
insults to be resented accordingly. Turning upon the young lady
savagely, he retorted:

"If sass was butter, your folks wouldn't have to keep any cows."

Then he walked quickly across the room to where 'Zekiel Pettengill
stood aloof from the rest, wrapped in some apparently not very pleasant
thoughts.

At this juncture Hiram Maxwell dashed into the schoolroom, and judging
from appearances his thoughts were of the pleasantest possible
description.

"Say, fellers and girls," he cried, "I've got some news for yer, and
when you hear it you'll think the day of judgment has come, and you're
goin' to git your reward."

An astonished "Oh!" came up from the assemblage.

"Out with it," said Bob Wood, in his coarse, rough voice.

"Well, fust," said Hiram, his face glowing with animation, "you know we
got up a subscription to pay for the barge and made me treasurer, cuz I
worked in a deacon's family. Wall, when I asked Bill Stalker to-night
how much the bill would be, just to see if I'd got enough, he told me
that a Mr. Sawyer, who said he 'boarded down to Deacon Mason's, had paid
the hull bill and given him a dollar beside for hisself." Cheers and the
clapping of hands showed that the city fellow's liberality was
appreciated by a majority, at least, of the singing society. "When we
git on the barge I'll pay yer back yer money, and the ride won't cost
any one on us a durn cent. That ain't all. Mr. Sawyer jest told me
hisself that when he was over to Eastborough Centre yesterday he ordered
a hot supper for the whole caboodle, and it'll be ready for us when we
git over to the Eagle Hotel. So come