Poor William Todd bent his fiery face over the table and suffered the

general snicker in helpless silence. Then there was quiet for a space,

broken only by the click of knives against the heavy china and the

indolent rustle of Cynthia's fly-brush.

"Town so still," observed the landlord, finally, with a complacent glance

at the dessert course of prunes to which his guests were helping

themselves from a central reservoir, "Town so still, hardly seems like

show-day's come round again. Yet there's be'n some shore signs lately:

when my shavers come honeyin' up with, 'Say, pa, ain't they no urrands I

can go for ye, pa? I like to run 'em for you, pa,'--'relse, 'Oh, pa, ain't

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they no water I can haul, or nothin', pa?'--'relse, as little Rosina T.

says, this morning, 'Pa, I always pray fer you pa,' and pa this and pa

that-you can rely either Christmas or show-day's mighty close."

William Todd, taking occasion to prove himself recovered from confusion,

remarked casually that there was another token of the near approach of the

circus, as ole Wilkerson was drunk again.

"There's a man!" exclaimed Mr. Martin with enthusiasm. "There's the

feller for my money! He does his duty as a citizen more discriminatin'ly

on public occasions than any man I ever see. There's Wilkerson's

celebration when there's a funeral; look at the difference between it and

on Fourth of July. Why, sir, it's as melancholy as a hearse-plume, and

sympathy ain't the word for it when he looks at the remains, no sir;

preacher nor undertaker, either, ain't half as blue and respectful. Then

take his circus spree. He come into the store this afternoon, head up,

marchin' like a grenadier and shootin' his hand out before his face and

drawin' it back again, and hollering out, 'Ta, ta, ta-ra-ta, ta, ta-ta-

ra'--why, the dumbest man ever lived could see in a minute show's 'comin'

to-morrow and Wilkerson's playin' the trombone. Then he'd snort and goggle

like an elephant. Got the biggest sense of appropriateness of any man in

the county, Wilkerson has. Folks don't half appreciate him."

As each boarder finished his meal he raided the glass of wooden toothpicks

and went away with no standing on the order of his going; but Martin

waited for Harkless, who, not having attended to business so concisely as

the others, was the last to leave the table, and they stood for a moment

under the awning outside, lighting their cigars.

"Call on the judge, to-night?" asked Martin.

"No," said Harkless. "Why?"

"Didn't you see the lady with Minnie and the judge at the lecture?"

"I caught a glimpse of her. That's what Bowlder meant, then."

"I don't know what Bowlder meant, but I guess you better go out there,

young man. She might not stay here long."




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