"Somebody's a hollerin' helloa," said Margaret, grinding her coffee by
the fire-place.

Jasper went to the door.

"Helloa, that you, Gabe?"

"What's left of me," a voice replied.

"Won't you light an' look at yo' saddle?"

"No, don't believe I got time. Was goin' down to town an' didn't know
but you mout want to send fur suthin'."

"No, don't believe I'm pinched for anythin' at present."

"You might tell him to fetch me a newspaper," said Margaret.

"Wife 'lows you might fetch her a newspaper, Gabe."

"What sorter one?"

"Oh, one o' last year or year befo' last."

"Last year," Margaret repeated contemptuously. "If I can't get this
month's paper, I won't have none."

"Wife's mighty particular about her paper, Gabe," Jasper shouted. "Say,
fetch her one o' them farmer papers and then it won't make no diffunce
how old it is."

"All right. Good-bye."

"Good-bye, Gabe," and then thinking of something important Starbuck
hastened to cry out: "Say, Gabe, you might fetch me a can of cove
oysters and about a straw hat full o' crackers." The last request was
shouted through the window, on the sill of which there was a tin cup and
near by, in a corner, was a jug. Taking up the jug and the cup
Starbuck, approaching his visitor, inquired: "Have a sneeze, Laz?"

The young fellow did not look round; he saw neither the jug nor the cup,
but he knew what was meant, and with a slight change of countenance as
he arose, he replied: "Ain't snoze ter-day."

Jasper gave him the cup, raised the jug and said: "Shout when you've got
enough."

Instantly Laz became animated, but without a change of countenance:
"Say, ricolleck that feller lived over our way, had a white hoss--one
day come along and--" The cup ran over.

"You ain't very good at shoutin', air you?"

"Whoa," said Laz.

Jasper tilted the jug to his own lips and Laz drained the cup. Starbuck
made a motion with the jug toward Margaret and she shook her head with a
shudder.

"Tastes like the milk of human kindness," said Laz, and Jasper replied:

"Yes, till you git too much an' then it's like the juice b'iled outen
the hoof of old Satan. Say," he added, as he put the jug in its
accustomed place, "have you hearn the new preacher over at Ebenezer?"

"Went over to hear," Laz replied, "but a passel of us fellers got to
swoppin' saddles down at the spring an' didn't. They say Jim Starbuck
kin preach all round him."

"Bet Jim kin whup him," said Jasper.

"Now,