"I forgot to tell you, Mr. Sawyer, that I always chloroform my chickens
before I cut their heads off."

He stepped back into the house. Swiss, with a bound, was in the room
beside him, and when Quincy again turned his steps towards the road the
closed door had shut them both from view.

CHAPTER VII.

"THAT CITY FELLER."

As usual, the next morning Hiram was down to the Pettengill house
between nine and ten o'clock. He opened the kitchen door unobserved by
Mandy and looked in at her. She was standing at the sink washing dishes
and singing to herself. Suddenly Hiram gave a jump into the room and
cried out in a loud voice, "How are you, Mandy?"

She dropped a tin pan that she was wiping, which fell with a clatter,
breaking a plate that happened to be in the sink.

"I'm much worse, thank you," she retorted, "and none the better for
seeing you. What do you mean by coming into the house and yelling like a
wild Injin? I shall expect you to pay for that plate anyway."

"He who breaks pays," said Hiram with a laugh. "But why don't you shake
hands with a fellow?"

"I will if I like and I won't if I like," replied Mandy, extending her
hand, which was covered with soapsuds.

"Wipe your hand," said Hiram, "and I'll give you this ten cents to pay
for the plate."

As he said this he extended the money towards her. Mandy did not attempt
to take it, but giving her wet hand a flip threw the soapsuds full in
Hiram's face. He rushed forward and caught her about the waist; as he
did so he dropped the money, which rolled under the kitchen table.

Mandy turned around quickly and facing Hiram, caught him by both ears,
which she pulled vigorously. He released his hold upon her and jumped
back to escape further punishment.

"Now, Mr. Hiram Maxwell," said she, facing him, "what do you mean by
such actions? I've a good mind to put you outdoors and never set eyes on
you again. What would Mr. Pettengill have thought if he'd a come in a
minute ago?"

"I guess he'd a thought that I was gittin' on better'n I really am,"
replied Hiram, with a crestfallen look. "Now, Mandy, don't get mad, I
didn't mean nothin', I was only foolin' and you began it fust, by
throwin' that dirty water in my face, and no feller that had any spunk
could stand that." As he said this, a broad smile covered his face.
"Say, Mandy," he continued, "here comes Obadiah Strout, we'd better make
up before he gits in or it'll be all over town that you and me h