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Linkern?" I heard him make a speech over at Havaner against Douglas. Then Mitch said, "How did he look?" But when he got up to talk, he changed. His face got lively like, and he took everybody right off their feet." So I, bein' the States Attorney's son, was interested in Duff's case, and I asked John if he heard the trial. "No, sir," said John, "I didn't. I had the ager and couldn't go.
Then we walked clear to the back of the orchard, clumb the rail fence, walked through the meadow a roundabout way and came to the road on the other side of the Tate farm. So here we struck out for Atterberry, so as to walk the railroad to Havaner. We thought we could make Oakford before night. When we got fairly started Mitch said, "Something terrible has happened to me, Skeet it's terrible."
John laughed. Kept laughin' at everything that was said. And finally they drank more beer and all talked together; and the old feller that was dancin' sat down, lit a fine cigar, and began to tell about New York. It turned out he was the fish commissioner and lived in Havaner; but he had traveled everywhere and was a regular gentleman.
But what's two dollars? When we get to Havaner, Skeet's pa will give him that twice over, if he wants it. So let it go, Skeet. If a conductor wants to be mean enough to cheat a couple of boys, and the railroad is mean enough to take the money, I say, let it go." We hadn't gone more'n six miles anyway when the train stopped again.
I told him Mitch and me was goin' to Havaner to see my pa who was there, and come back with him to-morrow. Then I took out my two dollars and showed him, and says, "That's for my fare, and Mitch has money, too." Willie Wallace says: "You don't need no fare just crawl up in the cupola of the caboose, and it will be all right.
Grandma says: "Your popie is comin' in the morning on the way to Havaner, and you stay and see him. And if he says you can go, why all right. Or maybe he'll take you to Havaner with him." A thought went through my head! Why not go to Havaner and get the lay of the land, see the steamboats and get ready to go to Hannibal.
I live about 7 miles from your grandpap. And I'll tell you and play the fiddle for you." "When can we come?" says Mitch. "Any time," says John. "To-morrow," says Mitch. "Wal, to-morrow I'm goin' to Havaner But you just get your grandpap to drive you and Mitch over some day, and we'll have a grand visit." So he went away.
They had give him ether or somethin' and so he kept gettin' drowsier and drowsier, and finally died in his sleep. So my pa and grandpa talked till noon most wonderful talk; and then we had dinner and grandma told more funny stories than you ever heard, and had the best time in the world. And after dinner, grandpa hitched up the horses and drove pa to Atterberry to catch the train for Havaner.
Well, we went around different places, and finally we went to a hotel about a thousand times bigger than the hotel at Havaner. The office had gilt all over it and marble pillars and a dome of blue and red glass. It must have cost millions. When we went into the dining room John Armstrong looked shamed a little like a boy standin' up to recite. And we sat down at a table.
He wasn't rollickin' and free no more, but looked serious and busy. Havaner was a big town, so there was a lot of switchin' to do, and Willie just said, "Good luck, boys," and disappeared sommers between cars. Then we started up the street, goin' to the steamboat landin'. It must have been more'n a mile; and the sun was goin' down now and we began to wonder about the night.