At this sally a loud laugh arose from the crowd gathered in the store,
and Abner Stiles, who was the Professor's henchman and man-of-all-work,
cried out, "Fust blood for the Professor."

Quincy faced the Professor with a pale face and spoke in clear, ringing
tones, still holding his lighted cigar between the fingers of his right
hand. When he spoke all listened intently.

"Your memory has served you well, Mr. Strout. You have got my names
correct and in the proper order, Quincy Adams Sawyer. I do not consider
that any child could be abused by being obliged to wear such honored
names as those given me by my parents. My mother was a Quincy, and that
name is indissolubly connected with the history and glory of our common
country. My father's mother was an Adams, a family that has given two
Presidents to the United States. If your knowledge of history is as
great as your memory for names you should be aware of these facts, but
your ignorance of them will not affect the opinion of those knowing to
them. My father, Nathaniel Adams Sawyer, has a world-wide reputation as
a great constitutional lawyer, and I am proud to bear his name, combined
with those of my illustrious ancestors. It is needless for me to add
that I, too, am connected with the legal profession."

Here Hiram Maxwell called out, "First round for Mr. Sawyer."

"Shut up, you dough-head," cried Strout, his face purple with rage.
Turning to Quincy he said in a choked voice, "My name is Obadiah Strout,
no frills or folderols about it either. That was my father's name too,
and he lived and died an honest man, in spite of it. He raised potatoes
and one son, that was me. When the nation called for volunteers I went
to war to save the money bags of such as you that stayed at home. It was
such fellers as you that made money out of mouldy biscuits and rotten
beef, shoddy clothin', and paper-soled boots. It was such fellers as
your father that lent their money to the government and got big interest
for it. They kept the war going as long as they could. What cared they
for the blood of the poor soldier, as long as they could keep the
profits and interest coming in? It wasn't the Quincys and the Adamses
and the other fellers with big names that stayed at home and hollered
who saved the country, but the rank and file that did the fightin', and
I was one of them."

[Illustration: "THE BARGE LED THE PROCESSION TO MASON'S CORNER."]

As he said this the irascible Professo