Straightway he drove home at a scandalous rate of speed, and on the
way, he dressed Jimmy in a broadcloth suit, patent leathers, and a
silk hat. Then he took him to a gold cure, where he learned to
abhor whiskey in a week, and then to the priest, to whom he
confessed that he had lied about the number of coons in the
Canoper. And so peace brooded in Rainbow Bottom, and all of them
were happy again. For with the passing of summer, Dannie had
learned that heretofore there had been happiness of a sort, for
them, and that if they could all get back to the old footing it
would be well, or at least far better than it was at present. With
Mary's tongue dripping gall, and her sweet face souring, and Jimmy
hearing devils, no wonder poor Dannie overheated his team in a race
to carry a package that promised to furnish some diversion.
Jimmy and Mary heard the racket, and standing on the celery hill,
they saw Dannie come clattering up the lane, and as he saw them, he
stood in the wagon, and waved the package over his head.
Jimmy straightened with a flourish, stuck the spade in the celery
hill, and descended with great deliberation. "I mintioned to Dannie
this morning," he said "that it was about time I was hearin' from
the Thrid Man."
"Oh! Do you suppose it is something from Boston?" the eagerness
in Mary's voice made it sound almost girlish again.
"Hunt the hatchet!" hissed Jimmy, and walked very leisurely into the cabin.
Dannie was visibly excited as he entered.
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