at that there young feller was
doin' with four of 'em. I can't see what he was doin' with 'em anyhow.
Mebby," he said, "he was agent for 'em."

"He was agent for 'most everything I ever heard tell of a man bein'
agent for," said Miss Sally, "but I wish you'd tell me what they are."

"Well, ma'm," said the Colonel, "this is fire-extinguishers; patent
chemical fire-extinguishers. I know because I recall seein' some once
when I was down to Jefferson. They had 'em in a theater there. They put
out fires with 'em."

"Well!" exclaimed Miss Sally. "How do you ever suppose anybody would put
out a fire with a thing like that?"

The Colonel turned the affair over and over.

"I didn't study that up," he admitted, "but I guess if I take time I
can find out how the thing works. They squirt out of this here tube
somehow."

He turned up the end of the tube and squinted into it. Again Eliph'
Hewlitt was about to speak, but the attorney caught his eye and winked,
and the little book agent held his tongue.

"Well, land's sakes!" exclaimed Miss Sally, "What am I goin' to do with
four fire-extinguishers, I'd like to know?" She asked the question as
if the Colonel had got her into this thing of the ownership of the
fire-extinguishers, and she looked to him to take the responsibility. He
was quite willing to accept it.

"I've got to think that over," he said. "A feller can't decide right off
hand what to do with four fire-extinguishers. It looks to me as if they
was worth a lot more than the young feller owed you, Miss Sally. They
ain't no doubt about Miss Sally havin' a right to 'em, is there, Mister
Toole?"

"Not a bit of doubt!" exclaimed Toole cheerfully. "She has every right
in the world. You've got a witness that they came out of that box, and
she can sell, give, donate, assign, or bequeath them, for better or for
worse."

"Then that's all right," said the Colonel, "an' I guess that's all we
need you for."

"Except to settle the witness fees with this gentleman," said Toole,
turning to Eliph', who was still eager to say a word or two. "But mebby,
if I have a word or two with him, I can fix it up without making any
expense for you."

He drew Eliph' to one side.

"What's the cost of that book you're selling?" he asked. "Well, I'll
take one. I don't take one for a bribe, but because I can see you're not
the sort of man that would sell a book that wasn't worth the money. I
want that book. And just you keep still about thos