They went in to
Jacob's Parlor and took their accustomed seats.
"Any news?" asked Quincy.
"Not a word," said Hiram, "neither Strout or Abner have been seen on the
street sence the sale wuz over, but Strout has got hold of it in some
way that Huldy's engaged to 'Zeke Pettengill, and it's all over town."
At that moment Ezekiel opened the door and stepped into the shed. There
was a roguish twinkle in his eye and a smile about his lips as he
advanced towards Quincy.
"Waal, the cat's out o' the bag," said he to Quincy.
"Yes, Hiram was just telling me that Strout got hold of it in some way."
"Yaas," said Ezekiel, "he got hold of it in the most direct way that he
possibly could."
"How's that," asked Quincy, "did Miss Mason tell him?"
"Yaas," said Ezekiel, "he seemed to want a satisfactory reason why she
couldn't marry him, and it sorter seemed to her that the best reason
that she could give him was that she was engaged to marry me."
Hiram nearly lost his seat on the chopping block while expressing his
delight, and on Quincy's face there was a look of quiet satisfaction
that indicated that he was quite well satisfied with the present
condition of affairs.
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