Mrs. Mason nodded her head in the affirmative.

“I’ll ’tend door,” said Hiram; and he took his position accordingly.  After the rest of the gentlemen had left the room, Hiram closed the door, and turning to Huldy said, “Shall I call them, or will you?”

“You call them,” said Huldy.

“Got the handkerchief ready?” asked Hiram.

Huldy swung a big red bandanna in the air.  Opening a door, Hiram called out in a loud voice, “Obadiah Strout.”

As Strout walked towards the line of young girls they called out together, “Mister, please take a chair.”

Strout sat down in a chair.  One of the girls who had the bandanna handkerchief in her hand passed it quickly over his eyes and tied it firmly behind his head.  Two of the girls then stepped forward and each one taking one of his hands and extending it at right angles with his body held it firmly in their grasps.  At the same instant his head was pulled back by one of the girls and a kiss was imprinted on his upturned mouth.

“Who is it?” screamed the girls in unison.  The holds on the Professor’s head and hands were released and he sat upright in the chair.

“I kinder guess it was Miss Huldy Mason,” said he.

A loud laugh burst from the girls, mixed with cries of “You’re wrong!” “You ain’t right!” “You didn’t get it!” “You’re out!” and similar ejaculations.

The handkerchief was taken from his eyes and he was marched to the left of the line of girls, which ran length-wise of the kitchen.

Abner Stiles was the next one called in, and he was subjected to the same treatment as had befallen his predecessor, but to the intense disgust of Professor Strout he saw Hiram Maxwell come on tiptoe from the parlor door, lean over and kiss Abner Stiles.  The thought of course ran through his mind that he had been subjected to the same treatment.  He was on the point of protesting at this way of conducting the game when the idea occurred to him that it would be a huge satisfaction to have that city chap subjected to the same treatment, and he decided to hold his peace.

The next one called was ’Zekiel Pettengill, and he was treated in the same manner as the Professor and Abner had been; but as Hiram leaned over to kiss him, ’Zekiel’s foot slipped upon the floor and struck against Hiram’s, Hiram being in front of him.  ’Zekiel then put up both of his feet and kicked with them in such a way that Hiram was unable to approach him.

’Zekiel called out, “It’s Hiram Maxwell,” and the room rang with the laughs and cries of the girls.

’Zekiel, having guessed who it was, was marched off to the right of the line of girls.

Strout called out, “Let’s play something else,” but the sentiment of the company seemed to be that it wasn’t fair to the others not to give them a chance, so the game continued.  Quincy was the next one called, and to still further increase the disgust of Strout and Abner, instead of Hiram leaving the door, as before, one of the girls stepped out from the line, at a signal from Huldy, and kissed Quincy.  He guessed that it was Miss Huldy Mason, and was greeted with the same cries that Strout had heard.  He took his place at the left with the latter.