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"I I don't just know what you mean," stammered Janice, feeling very uncomfortable. He looked at her with his eyes screwed up again. "D'you know what they said about yer uncle las' year? He come down to Jefferson's store with a basket of pertaters. All the big ones was on top and the little ones at the bottom. Huh! He ain't the only one that 'deacons' a basket of pertaters," and Walky chuckled.
Wal, Janice, a Merry Christmas to ye!" he added, as he stumped up upon the porch, and handed her a little package from Miss 'Rill. "I am afraid not a very merry one, Walky," said the girl, shaking his mittened hand. "Come inside by the fire. Uncle Jason, where is that paper? I want Mr. Dexter to read it." "Oh, dear, me!" murmured Walky, when he saw the heading of the Mexican telegraph despatch.
"I wonder " murmured Janice; but said no more. "It's a scanderlous thing," Walky pursued, receiving his book back and preparing to join Josephus at the gate. "Goin' ter split things wide open in Polktown, I reckon. 'Twill be wuss'n a church row 'fore it finishes. Already there's them that says we'd oughter have another teacher in Mr. Haley's place." "Oh, my!" cried Aunt 'Mira.
But something in the middle of the road, as they made another corner, stopped all this fun. "Hullo!" exclaimed Walky. "That young feller on the gasoline bike has had an accident. Don't it look that way to you?" The team drew to a halt without any command, and directly beside the young man, who was working diligently over the overturned motorcycle.
But that is not so. Everybody in Polktown is affected by the change. I am going to talk to Mr. Meddlar about it, or to Elder Concannon. Something ought to be done." "Hi tunket! There ye go!" chuckled Marty. "More do something business. You'd better begin with Walky." "Begin what with Walky?" "Your temperance campaign, if that's what you mean," said the boy, more soberly.
"Wal," said Walky, "I b'lieve we could give the little shavers a better chance to l'arn their A, B, C's. And that old schoolhouse can't be het on re'l cold days. And it's as onhandy as it can be " "I believe you're goin' in for these new-fangled notions, too, Walky," declared the druggist. "Guess I be, on the school question, anyway.
"Janice, here, an' me hev been havin' an argyment right along about that rum sellin' business " "About the drinking, at any rate, Walky," interposed Janice, gently. "Wal ahem! ya-as. About the drinkin' of it, I s'pose. Yeou said, Janice, that my takin' a snifter now and then was an injury to other critters as well as to m'self." "And I repeat it," said the girl confidently.
There was a general laugh at this question. Walky Dexter, for once, had no ready reply. Indeed, he had been particularly serious all through the work of re-establishing his wagon on the dock. "Well, Walky, ye oughter stand treat on this, I vum!" said the freight agent. "Suthin' long, an' cool, would go mighty nice."
There was a spirit abroad among the people that had never before been detected. Walky Dexter hit it off characteristically when he said: "Hi tunket! does seem as though that air reading-room's startin' up has put the sperit of unrest in ter this here village. People never took much int'rest in books and noospapers before in Poketown. Look at 'em, now.
It is a shame the bar was ever opened at the Lake View Inn. And something ought to be done about it!" Walky had pulled in his team for her to jump down before Hopewell Drugg's store. "Jefers-pelters!" murmured the driver, scratching his head. "If that gal detarmines to put Lem Parraday out o' the licker business, mebbe mebbe I'd better go down an' buy me another drink 'fore she does it.
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