e wiped her hands on her
apron.

"What's that fur?" she asked. "I've got six dollars of your money now."

"That's for Mandy," said Quincy; "and this," pressing the money into her
hand, "is for four weeks' room rent; I am liable to come here any time
during the next month. I am going into business with Mr. Strout and Mr.
Maxwell--we're going to run the grocery store over here, and it will be
very handy to be so near to the store until we get the business
established. Good afternoon, Mrs. Hawkins," and he took her hand, which
was still wet, in his, and shook it warmly.

He turned to leave the house by the kitchen door, but Mrs. Hawkins
interposed.

"You better go out the front way," said she, and she ran before him and
opened the door leading to the front entry, and then the front door. As
he passed out, she said, "I wish you success, Mr. Sawyer, and we'll gin
you all our trade."

"Thank you!" said Quincy. He walked down the path, opened the front
gate, and as he closed it raised his hat to Mrs. Hawkins, who stood in
the front doorway, her thin, angular face wreathed in smiles.

"Wall," said she, as she closed the front door and walked back into the
kitchen, "what lies some folks tell. Now, that Professor Strout has
allus said that Mr. Sawyer was so stuck up that he wouldn't speak to
common folks. Wall, I think he's a real gentleman. 'Twon't do for any
one to run him down to me after this."

Here she thought of her money, and, spreading out the three bills in her
hand, she opened the kitchen door and screamed at the top of her voice,
"Jonas! Jonas!! Jonas!!!" There were no signs of Jonas. "Where is that
man? He's never 'round when he's wanted."

"What is it, Marthy?" said a voice behind her. Turning, she saw her
husband puffing away at his brierwood pipe.

"I thought you went out to the barn," said she, "to help Abner hitch
up?"

"Wall, I did," he replied; "but it didn't take two on us long to do
that. I eat so much chicken salad that it laid kinder heavy on my
stummick, so I went out in the wood-shed to have a smoke. But where did
you git all that money?"

"Mr. Sawyer took the front room for two weeks and paid for it ahead, and
do you know he said my chicken salad was jist as good as Mrs. Young and
Mrs. Parker makes down to Bosting."

"I don't know Mrs. Young nor Mrs. Parker," said Jonas, "but on makin'
chicken salad I'll match Mrs. Hawkins agin 'em any day;" and he went out
in the wood-shed to finish his