se."

"Bah!" says the Doc disgusted. "If I didn't know you so well, I should
think your mind was affected."

"Think what you blamed please, you bald-headed old pill peddler!" raps
back the boss, pokin' him playful in the ribs. "I'll bet you a fiver I
can put more of these rings over than you can."

"Humph!" says the Doc. "I've no time to waste on silly games." And he
stands by watchin' disapprovin' while Old Hickory makes an awkward stab
at the peg. The nearest he comes to it is when he chucks one through
the glass door of a curio cabinet, with a smash that brings the butler
tiptoein' in.

"Did you ring, Sir?" says Marston.

"Not a blamed one!" says Mr. Ellins.

"Take it away, Marston. And then unwrap that large package. There!
Now what the tessellated teacups is that!"

It's something I didn't know anything about myself; but the young gent
at the store had been strong for puttin' it in, so I'd let it slide.
It's a tin affair, painted bright green, with half a dozen little brass
cups sunk in it. Some rubber balls and a kind of croquet mallet goes
with it.

"Indoor golf!" says Old Hickory, readin' the instruction pamphlet.
"Oh, I see! A putting green. Set it there on the rug, Marston. Now,
let's see if I've forgotten how to putt."

We all gathers around while he tries to roll the balls into the cups.
Out of six tries he lands just one. Next time he don't get any at all.

"Pooh!" says the Doc edgin' up int'rested. "Wretched putting form,
Ellins, wretched! Don't tap it that way: sweep it along---follow
through, with your right elbow out. Here, let me show you!"

But Hirshway don't do much better. He manages to get two in; but one
was a rank scratch.

"Ho-ho!" cackles Old Hickory. "Isn't so easy as it looks, eh,
Hirshway? Now it's my turn again, and I'm betting ten I beat you."

"I take you," says the Doc.

And blamed if Old Hickory don't pull down the money!

Well, that's what started things. Next I knew they'd laid out a
regular golf course, drivin' off from the rug in front of the desk,
through the double doors into the drawin' room, then across the hall
into the music room, around the grand piano to the left, through the
back hall, into the lib'ry once more, and onto the tin green.

Marston is sent to dig out a couple sets of old golf clubs from the
attic, and he is put to caddyin' for the Doc, while I carries the bag
for the boss. Course they was usin' putters mostly, except for