"You see, brother Fay and brother Neddie, they drived a nail in the wood-shed door; and Biddy, she lended Mr. Robbins's axe; and then Papa, he got besited; and so we haven't any wood-shed door any more."
Meanwhile, the preparations for the horizontal balloon ascension had gone on. But, as Ned remarked long ago, nothing could be done without capital, and he was obliged to make another business call upon his Aunt Mercy.
"What's new down at your house?" said she, after the greetings were over.
"Nothing particular," said Ned.
"I hear that idiotic brother of yours has been cutting up a pretty caper," said Aunt Mercy, after a pause.
"What was it?" said Ned.
"Why, don't you know?"
"I don't know what you have been told, and I can't think of anything very bad that Fay has done."
"Gracious me!" said Aunt Mercy. "Don't you call it bad to go around slyly in the night and nail up every door and window in the house?"
"Yes, that would be pretty bad, Aunty. But Fay hasn't done so."