"Well, Philetus, what are you looking for?"
"Do, Mis' Douglass!" it is impossible to express the abortive attempt at a bow which accompanied this salutation "I want to know if the minister 'll be in town to-day."
"What do you want of him?"
"I don't want nothin' of him. I want to know if he'll be in town to-day?"
"Yes; I expect he'll be along directly. Why, what then?"
" 'Cause I've got teu chickens for him here, and mother said they hadn't ought to be kept no longer, and if he wan't to hum, I were to fetch 'em back, straight."
"Well, he'll be here, so let's have 'em," said Mrs. Douglass, biting her lips.
"What's become o' t'other one?" said Earl, as the young man's stick was brought round to the table: "I guess you've lost it, ha'n't you?"
"My gracious!" was all Philetus's powers were equal to. Mrs. Douglass went off into fits, which rendered her incapable of speaking, and left the unlucky chicken-bearer to tell his story his own way, but all he brought forth was, "Du tell! I am beat!"
"Where's t'other one?" said Mrs. Douglass, between paroxysms.