h the donor,
either not heard or not understood by Dave, whose narrative seemed to
point to his having been sent to a distance, with a doubt about
inapplicable epithets bestowed on him by the Man, calling for asterisks
in a close report. Some of these were probably only half-understood,
even by Micky; being, so to speak, the chirps of a gaol-bird. But Dave's
report seemed to point to "Now, is that * * young * * to be trusted not
to split?" although he made little attempt to render the asterisky parts
of speech.

Uncle Mo and Mr. Jerry glanced at one another, seeming to understand a
phrase that had puzzled Aunt M'riar.

"That was it, Mo," said Mr. Jerry, exactly as if Uncle Mo had spoken,
"_spit upon_ meant _split upon_." Dave in his innocence had supposed
that a profligacy he was himself sometimes guilty of had been referred
to. He felt that his uncle's knee was for the moment the stool of
repentance, but was relieved when a new reading was suggested. There
could be no disgrace in splitting, though it might be painful.

"And, of course," said Uncle Mo, ruffling Dave's locks, "of course, you
kept your mouth tight shut--hay?" Dave, bewildered, assented. He
connected this _bouche cousue_ with his own decorous abstention, not
without credit to himself. Who shall trace the inner workings of a small
boy's brain? "Instead of telling of it all, straight off, to your poor
old uncle!" There was no serious indignation in Uncle Mo's tone,
but the boy was too new for nice distinctions. The suggestion of
disloyalty wounded him deeply, and he rushed into explanation.
"Becorze--becorze--becorze--becorze," said he--"becorze Micky said _not_
to!" He arrived at his climax like a squib that attains its ideal.

"Micky's an owdacious young varmint," said Uncle Mo. "Small boys that
listened to owdacious young varmints never used to come to much good,
not in _my_ time!" Dave looked shocked at Uncle Mo's experience. But he
had reservations to offer as to Micky, which distinguished him from
vulgar listeners to incantations. "Micky said not to, and Micky said
Uncle Mo didn't want to hear tell of no Man out in Hoy' Park, and me to
keep my mouth shut till I was tolded to speak."

"And you told him to speak, and he spoke!" said Mr. Jerry, charitably
helping Dave. "You couldn't expect any fairer than that, old Mo." Public
opinion sanctioned a concession in this sense, and Dave came off the
stool of repentance.

"Very good, then!" said Uncle Mo