And Ephraim, full of his subject, began to recount from the beginning the marvellous affair, occasionally appealing to Cynthia for confirmation. How he had lived over again the Wilderness and Five Forks; how the General had changed since he had seen him whittling under a tree; how the General had asked about his pension.
“D-didn't mention the post-office, did you, Ephraim?”
“Why, no,” replied Ephraim, “I didn't like to exactly. You see, we was havin' such a good time I didn't want to spoil it, but Cynthy—”
“I told the President about it, Uncle Jethro; I told him how sick Cousin Eph had been, and that you were going to give him the postmastership because he couldn't work any more with his hands.”
The training of a lifetime had schooled Jethro not to betray surprise.
“K-kind of mixin' up in politics, hain't you, Cynthy? P-President say he'd give you the postmastership, Eph?” he asked.
“He didn't say nothin' about it, Jethro,” answered Ephraim slowly; “I callate he has other views for the place, and he was too kind to come right out with 'em and spoil our mornin'. You see, Jethro, I wahn't only a sergeant, and Brampton's gittin' to be a big town.”
“But, surely,” cried Cynthia, who could scarcely wait for him to finish, “surely you're going to give Cousin Eph the post-office, aren't you, Uncle Jethro? All you have to do is to tell the President that you want it for him. Why, I had an idea that we came down for that.”
“Now, Cynthy,” Ephraim put in, deprecatingly.
“Who else would get the post-office?” asked Cynthia. “Surely you're not going to let Mr. Sutton have it for Dave Wheelock!”