“I’ll take the whole box,” said Quincy.  “Call it ten dollars, that’s cheap enough.  No matter about the discount.”  As he said this he took half a dozen cigars from the box and placed them in a silver-mounted, silk-embroidered cigar case.  “Please do them up for me, Mr. Hill, and the next time Hiram Maxwell comes in he will take them down to Deacon Mason’s for me.”

After much rummaging through till and pocketbook, Mr. Hill and his son found ten dollars in change, which was passed to Quincy.  He stuffed the large wad of small bills and fractional currency into his overcoat pocket and sitting down on a pile of soap boxes drummed on the lower one with his boot heels and puffed his cigar with evident pleasure.

While Quincy was thus pleasantly engaged, Professor Strout entered the store and walked briskly up to the counter.  He did not see, or if he did, he did not notice, Quincy who kept his place upon the pile of soap boxes.  Strout was followed by Abner Stiles, Robert Wood, and several other idlers, who had been standing on the store platform when the Professor arrived.

“Did those cigars come down, Hill?” asked Strout in his usual pompous way.

“Yes!” replied Mr. Hill, “but I guess you’ll have to wait till I gut another box down.”

“What for?” asked Strout sharply.  “Wa’n’t it understood between us that them cigars was to be kept for me?”

“That’s so,” acknowledged Mr. Hill, “but you see, when I told that gentleman on the soap box over yonder that you smoked them, he bought the whole box, paid me a cent more apiece than you do.  A dollar’s worth saving nowadays.  He says they sell for fifteen cents, two for a quarter, up in Boston.”

“If he’s so well posted on Boston prices,” growled Strout, “why didn’t he pay them instead of cheatin’ you out of two dollars and a half?  I consider it a very shabby trick, Mr. Hill.  I shall buy my cigars at Eastborough Centre in the future.  Perhaps you’ll lose more than that dollar in the long run.”

“Perhaps the gentleman will let you have some of them,” expostulated Mr. Hill, “till I can get another box.”

“All I can say is,” said Strout in snappish tones, “if the man who bought them knew that you got them for me, he was no gentleman to take the whole box.  What do yer say, Stiles?” he asked, turning to Abner, who had kept his eyes fixed on the placid Quincy since entering the store, though listening intently to what the Professor said.

“Well, I kinder reckon I agree to what you say, Professor,” drawled Abner, “unless the other side has got some sort of an explanation to make.  ’Tain’t quite fair to judge a man without a hearin’.”

“Allow me to offer you one of your favorite brand, Professor Strout,” said Quincy, jumping down from the soap boxes and extending his cigar case.

“No! thank you!” said Strout, “I always buy a box at a time, the same as you do.  Judging from the smell of the one you are smoking, I guess they made a mistake on that box and sent second quality.  Give me a five-cent plug, Mr. Hill, if some gentleman hasn’t bought out your whole stock.  I fancy my pipe will have to do me till I get a chance to go over to Eastborough Centre.”