Mrs. Mason looked in the door and said, “I wouldn’t sing any more now, it is nearly eight o’clock.”

And thus admonished they began talking of Tilly James’s engagement to Sam Hill and the sale of the grocery store, which was to come off the next day.

“I wonder who will buy it?” asked Huldy.

“Well, I hear Strout has got some backers,” said ’Zekiel, “but I don’t see what good it will be to him unless he is appointed postmaster.  They say he has written to Washington and applied for the position.”

Quincy pricked up his ears at this.  He had almost forgotten this chance to put another spoke in Mr. Strout’s wheel.  He made a mental memorandum to send telegrams to two Massachusetts congressmen with whom he was well acquainted to hold up Strout’s appointment at all hazards until they heard from him again.

A little after seven o’clock the advance guard of the surprise party arrived at Hill’s grocery, which was the appointed rendezvous.  Abner Stiles drew Strout to one side and said, “I saw the Pettengill folks and that city feller in ’Zeke’s double sleigh going over to the Centre at about five o’clock.”

“So much the better,” said Strout.

“Do you know where they’ve gone?” inquired Stiles.

“No, but I guess I can find out,” Strout replied.

He had spied Mandy Skinner among a crowd of girls on the platform.  He called her and she came to him.

“Did Mr. Pettengill and his sister take tea at home to-night?”

“No,” said Mandy.  “I told them I was going away to-night, and Mr. Pettengill said they were going away too.  And Cobb’s twins told me at dinner time that they wouldn’t be home to supper; and as I didn’t wish to eat too much, considering what was coming later, I didn’t get no supper at all.  I left Crowley to look out for Uncle Ike, who is always satisfied if he gets toast and tea.”

“Don’t you know where they’ve gone?” inquired Strout.

“Over to the hotel, I guess,” said Mandy.  “I heard Mr. Sawyer tell Miss Alice that they had good oysters over there, and she said as how she was dying to get some raw oysters.”

“Things couldn’t have worked better,” remarked Strout, as he rejoined Abner, who was smoking a cheap cigar.  “The Pettengill crowd has gone over to the hotel to supper.  You ought not to smoke, Abner, if you are going to kiss the girls to-night,” said Strout.

“I guess I sha’n’t do much kissin’,” replied Abner, “except what I give my fiddle with the bow, and that fiddle of mine is used to smoke.”

Strout looked around and saw that the whole party had assembled.  There were about fifty in all, very nearly equally divided as regarded numbers into fellows and girls.

“Now I am going ahead,” said Strout, “to interview the old lady, before we jump in on them.  The rest of you just follow Abner and wait at the top of the hill, just round the corner, so that they can’t see you from the house.  I have arranged with Hiram to blow his bugle when everything is ready, and when you hear it you just rush down hill laughing and screaming and yelling like wild Injuns.  Come in the back door, right into the big kitchen, and when Miss Huldy comes into the room you just wait till I deliver my speech.”