"
"You won't find it a little one," said Hiram, "when you get out in the
road, but I guess the three on us can pull through."
Ezekiel went upstairs with the wood and Hiram resumed his seat before
the kitchen fire.
"What did I tell you?" said Hiram to Mandy. "'Zeke's going back with me.
She has writ him to come over and see her. Now you see if you don't lose
your apple."
"I didn't bet," said Mandy; "but what was that other thing you were
going to tell me that was no secret?"
"Oh, that's about another couple," said Hiram. "Tilly James is engaged."
"Well, it's about time," said Mandy. "Which one of them?"
"Samuel Hill," replied Hiram, "and she managed it fust rate. You know
the boys have been flocking round her for more than a year. Old Ben
James, her pa, told me he'd got to put in a new hitchin' post. You see,
there has been Robert Wood and 'Manuel Howe and Arthur Scates and Cobb's
twins and Ben Bates and Sam Hill, but Samuel was the cutest one of the
lot."
"Why, what did he do that was bright?" asked Mandy.
"Well," replied Hiram, "you see, Tilly sot down and writ invites to all
the boys that had been sparkin' 'round her to come to see her the same
night.
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