ave been
fightin'. Got any chores this mornin', Mandy, that I can do for you?"

At this moment the kitchen door was again opened and Professor Strout
entered.

"Where's Pettengill?" he asked of Mandy, not noticing Hiram.

"I guess he's out in the wood-shed, if he hasn't gone somewheres else,"
replied Mandy, resuming her work at the sink.

Strout turned towards Hiram and said, as if he had been unaware
previously of his presence, "Oh! you there, Hiram? Just go find
Pettengill for me like a good feller and tell him Professor Strout
wishes to see him up to the house."

"At the same time, Hiram," said Mandy, "go find me that dozen eggs that
I told you I wanted for that puddin'."

Hiram winked at Mandy, unseen by the Professor and started for the
chicken coop.

"Guess I'll have a chair," remarked the Professor.

"All right, if you don't take it with you when you go," replied Mandy,
still busily washing dishes.

"Fine weather," said Strout.

"Sorter between," laconically replied Mandy.

"Did you enjoy the concert?" asked Strout.

"Some parts of it," said Mandy. "I thought Mr. Sawyer and Miss Putnam
were just splendid. His whistling was just grand."

"He'll whistle another kind of a tune in a few days," remarked Strout.

"What? Are you going to give another concert?" asked Mandy, looking at
him for the first time.

"If I do," replied the Professor, "you bet he won't be one of the
performers."

"Oh, I see," said Mandy, "you're mad with him 'cause he hogged the whole
show. Mr. Maxwell was just telling me as how Mr. Sawyer was going to
hire the Town Hall on Washington's birthday and bring down a big brass
band from Boston and give a concert that would put you in the shade, and
somebody was telling me, I forget who, that Mr. Sawyer don't like to sit
'round doing nothin', and he's goin' to give music lessons."

These last two untruthful shots hit the mark, as she knew they would,
and Strout, abandoning the subject, blurted out, "Where in thunder's
that Hiram? I'll be blowed if I don't believe he went to look for the
eggs first."

"I reckon he did," said Mandy, "if he means to keep on good terms with
me. He ain't likely to tend to stray jobs till he's done up his regular
chores."

"I s'pose Deacon Mason sends him down here to wait on you?" remarked
Strout with a sneer.

"Did Deacon Mason tell you that you could have him to run your errands?"
inquired Mandy, with a pout.

"Guess the best thing I can do,"