"Shouldn't wonder," said the other. "He gets awful tight sometimes."
"It is a pity," said John, "for Mrs. Huxter seems to be a good sort of a woman, and it must be hard on her."
"It would be hard for any woman to have such a husband. I don't know Mrs. Huxter much, but I never heard anything against her. I've a great mind to tell you," said the boy, looking at John to judge whether he appeared as if he might be trusted with a secret, "a trick that one or two of the fellows played on Mr. Huxter once when he was drunk. But you'll be sure not to tell?"
John, whose curiosity was somewhat excited, gave the required promise.
"You see," continued his informant, "I was walking along with George Sprague one afternoon, when we came across old Huxter lying side of the road as drunk as he could be. George is rather a wild boy, and always up to some mischief or other. That afternoon he happened to have a little red paint, which he had got at the painter's shop for his father to use. As soon as we saw old Huxter snoring away, George winked to me, and said, 'Huxter's nose is red, but I've a great mind to make it a little redder. I should like to see how the old fellow will look.' With that he took out his brush, and touched Huxter's nose with it lightly, making it as red as a brick. I was afraid he would wake up and chase us, for he's pretty violent when he's drunk; but he was too far gone, and never stirred. George took the paint home, and then we came out to see if Huxter had gone home. We found he had, and we afterwards heard how the trick came out."
"When he got home and went into the kitchen, Mrs. Huxter screamed as soon as she saw him.