"So much as I know, that's what he sayed."
"Well," declared Absalom, "that there ain't in the Bible! He'd better watch out! If he ain't a Bible Christian, pop and Jake Getz and the other directors'll soon put him off William Penn!"
"Och, Absalom, go sass your gran'mom!" was the doctor's elegant retort. "What's ailin' YOU, anyways, that you want to be so spunky about Teacher? I guess you're mebbe thinkin' he'll cut you out with Tillie, ain't?"
"I'd like to see him try it oncet!" growled Absalom.
Tillie grew cold with fear that the teacher might hear them; but she knew there was no use in protesting.
"Are you goin' to keep on at William Penn all winter, Absalom?" Mrs. Wackernagel asked.
"Just long enough to see if he kin learn 'rithmetic to me. Ezra Herr, he was too dumm to learn me."
"Mebbe," said the doctor, astutely, "you was too dumm to GET learnt!"
"I AM wonderful dumm in 'rithmetic," Absalom acknowledged shamelessly. "But pop says this here teacher is smart and kin mebbe learn me. I've not saw him yet myself."
Much as Tillie disliked being alone with her suitor, she was rather relieved this evening when the family, en masse, significantly took its departure to the second floor; for she hoped that with no one but Absalom to deal with, she could induce him to lower his voice so their talk would not be audible to the teacher in the room above.