"Some parts of it," said Mandy. "I thought Mr. Sawyer and Miss Putnam were just splendid. His whistling was just grand."
"He'll whistle another kind of a tune in a few days," remarked Strout.
"What? Are you going to give another concert?" asked Mandy, looking at him for the first time.
"If I do," replied the Professor, "you bet he won't be one of the performers."
"Oh, I see," said Mandy, "you're mad with him 'cause he hogged the whole show. Mr. Maxwell was just telling me as how Mr. Sawyer was going to hire the Town Hall on Washington's birthday and bring down a big brass band from Boston and give a concert that would put you in the shade, and somebody was telling me, I forget who, that Mr. Sawyer don't like to sit 'round doing nothin', and he's goin' to give music lessons."
These last two untruthful shots hit the mark, as she knew they would, and Strout, abandoning the subject, blurted out, "Where in thunder's that Hiram? I'll be blowed if I don't believe he went to look for the eggs first."
"I reckon he did," said Mandy, "if he means to keep on good terms with me. He ain't likely to tend to stray jobs till he's done up his regular chores."
"I s'pose Deacon Mason sends him down here to wait on you?" remarked Strout with a sneer.
"Did Deacon Mason tell you that you could have him to run your errands?" inquired Mandy, with a pout.
"Guess the best thing I can do," said Strout rising, "is to go hunt Pettengill up myself."