spare you half an
hour, if it will be as great an accommodation to yer as yer seem to
think it will."

And he followed Quincy upstairs to the latter's room.

CHAPTER XXX.

A SETTLEMENT.

When they entered the room Quincy motioned Strout to a chair, which he
took. He then closed the door and, taking a cigar case from his pocket,
offered a cigar to Strout, which the latter refused. Quincy then lighted
a cigar and, throwing himself into an armchair in a comfortable
position, looked straight at the Professor, who returned his gaze
defiantly, and said:

"Mr. Strout, there is an open account of some two month's standing
between us, and I have asked you to come up here to-day, because I think
it is time for a settlement"

"I don't owe you nuthin'," said Strout, doggedly.

"I think you owe me better treatment than you have given me the past two
months," remarked Quincy, "but we'll settle that point later."

"I guess I've treated you as well as you have me," retorted Strout, with
a sneer.

"But you began it," said Quincy, "and had it all your own way for two
months; I waited patiently for you to stop, but you wouldn't, so the
last week I've been squaring up matters, and there is only one point
that hasn't been settled. From what I have heard," continued Quincy, "I
am satisfied that Miss Mason has received full reparation for any
slanderous remarks that may have been started or circulated by you
concerning herself."

The Professor attentively regarded the pattern of the carpet on the
floor.

Quincy continued, "Miss Lindy Putnam has repeated to me what she told
Mr. Stiles about her visit to Boston, and attributed the distorted and
untrue form in which it reached the inhabitants of this town to your
well-known powers of invention. Am I right?"

The Professor looked up. "I'll have somethin' to say when you git
through," he replied.

"I expect and ask no apology or reparation for what you've said about
me," remarked Quincy. "You made your boast that one of us had got to
leave town, and it wouldn't be you. When I heard that I determined to
stay at whatever cost, and we'll settle this afternoon which one of us
is going to change his residence."

"I don't think you kin run me out o' town," said Strout, savagely.

"Well, I don't know," rejoined Quincy. "Let us see what I have done in a
week. You insulted Mr. Pettengill and his sister by not inviting them to
the surprise party. I know it was done to insult me