ner, instead of Hiram
leaving the door, as before, one of the girls stepped out from the line,
at a signal from Huldy, and kissed Quincy. He guessed that it was Miss
Huldy Mason, and was greeted with the same cries that Strout had heard.
He took his place at the left with the latter.

Strout leaned over and whispered in Abner's ear, "That was a put-up job.
I'll get even with Hiram Maxwell before I get through."

The game continued until all the men had been called in. With the
exception of Emmanuel Howe, none of them were able to guess who it was.
When Emmanuel took his place by the side of 'Zekiel he confided the fact
to him that he guessed it was Miss Putnam on account of the perfumery
which he had noticed before he left the house with her.

After this game others followed in quick succession. There were
"Pillow," "Roll the Cover," "Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?"
"Copenhagen," and finally "Post Office." From all of these games Alice
begged to be excused. She told the Professor that she was not bashful
nor diffident, but that her eyesight was so poor that she knew she would
detract from the pleasure of the others if she engaged in the games.
The Professor demurred at first, but said finally that her excuse was a
good one. Then he turned to Abner and remarked that he supposed Mr.
Sawyer would ask to be excused next 'cause his girl wasn't going to
play.

But Quincy had no such intention. After leading Alice to a seat beside
Mrs. Mason, he returned to the company and took part in every game,
entering with spirit and vivacity into each of them. He invented some
forfeits that one girl objected to the forfeit exacted of her as being
all out of proportion to her offence, the matter was referred to Quincy.
He said that he would remit the original forfeit and she could kiss him
instead. But she objected, saying that forfeit was worse than the other
one. This pleased Strout greatly, and he remarked to Abner, who kept as
close to him as the tail to a kite, that there was one girl in town who
wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

The game of Post Office was the most trying one to Quincy. Of his own
free will he would not have called either Huldy or Lindy, but Strout and
Abner and all the rest of them had letters for both of these young
ladies. He was afraid that his failure to call them out might lead to
remark, as he knew that Strout and Abner and Robert Wood were watching
his actions closely. So, near the middle of the