her."

"The Talmud says: 'An old woman in the house is a blessing; but an
old man is a nuisance.'"

"I don't give a bobtailed scat what the Talmud says. I know what I
know.--Miss Gaines, I leave it to you."

"Why, I like them both, when they're nice; and I'm sorry for them
both when they're not." And she added, with a naive air of
confidence: "But I think I like young men better than either, as a
rule."

The doctor removed his hat again, and sat down. His eyebrows went
up, his eyes crinkled.

"Miss Alicia Gaines," he said genially, "I perceive you are a
girl-child of fine promise.--As for us, Miss Smith, what have we to
do with age and foolishness, who, as yet, have neither? Let's get
down to business. What are you going to do about the lane behind
Hynds House? We had the use of that lane this hundred years and
more, until the devil got too strong in Sophronisba and she shut it
up. Now, shall you keep the lane closed, or shall you dismiss the
injunctions?"

"I shall have to consult Judge Gatchell."

"Gatchell's a fossilized remains. He's got no more blood in his
liver than a flea. Gatchell would hang his grandmother on a point of
law. Why should you, or any other ordinarily intelligent person, be
guided by Gatchell?"

"By whom, then, shall I be guided? You?" I wondered.

"That's not in my line," replied the doctor, shortly, and thrust his
hands into his gloves. "In the meantime, ladies, I'm your next-door
neighbor; I have no wife to gossip about you, no children to annoy
you; I'm far enough away to keep you from smelling my pipe; and I
shall quarrel with you only when I can't help it. In return, I have
but one favor to beg of you: don't use a shot-gun on my prize
chickens! Get a dog and train him to chase them home, if they get
into your yard. Or catch them and throw them over the hedge. I'll
pay any damages within reason. And please send for your cat."

"We have a cat?"

"You have. After Sophronisba's death, Mandy took her in; or rather,
Mandy was afraid to turn her out, for it's bad luck to cross a
witch's cat. In return for this charity the hussy immediately
foisted upon us two wholly unnecessary kittens. Mandy wouldn't allow
them to be decently drowned, for it's worse luck yet to tamper with
a witch's cat's kittens, particularly when they're as black as the
hinges of Gehenna. Mandy thinks their mother had them black as a
delicate mark of respect for the late crone."

"Send them over, please. Black