Everybody but Obed agreed.  He declared that he had lost money enough and wasn’t going to be a fool any longer.  The others argued with him patiently for a while and then Leadbetter, the livery stable keeper, said sharply: 

“See here, Obe!  You ain’t the only one in this.  How much does the Major owe you?”

“Pretty nigh twenty dollars.”

“Humph!  You’re lucky.  He owes me over thirty, and I guess Higgins is worse off than any of us.  Ain’t that so, Beriah?”

“About seventy, even money,” answered the grocer, shortly.  “No use, Obed, we’ve got to hang together.  Wait a week and then see.  And, fellers,” he added, “don’t tell a soul about this business, ’specially the women folks.  There ain’t a woman nor girl in this town that don’t think Major Hardee’s an A1, gold-plated saint, and twouldn’t be safe to break the spell on a guess.”

Obed reached home even more disgruntled than when he left it.  He sat up until after twelve, thinking and smoking, and when he went to bed he had a brilliant idea.  The next morning he wrote a letter and posted it.

CHAPTER V

A BABY AND A ROBBERY

The morning train for Boston, at that season of the year, reached East Harniss at five minutes to six, an “ungodly hour,” according to the irascible Mr. Ogden Williams, who, in company with some of his wealthy friends, the summer residents, was petitioning the railroad company for a change in the time-table.  When Captain Sol Berry, the depot master, walked briskly down Main Street the morning following Mr. Gott’s eventful evening at the club, the hands of the clock on the Methodist church tower indicated that the time was twenty minutes to six.

Issy McKay was already at the depot, the doors of which were open.  Captain Sol entered the waiting room and unlocked the ticket rack and the little safe.  Issy, languidly toying with the broom on the front platform, paused in his pretense of sweeping and awaited permission to go home for breakfast.  It came, in characteristic fashion.

“How’s the salt air affectin’ your appetite, Is?” asked the Captain, casually.

Issy, who, being intensely serious by nature, was uneasy when he suspected the presence of a joke, confusedly stammered that he cal’lated his appetite was all right.

“Payin’ for the Major’s glass ain’t kept you awake worryin’, has it?”

“No-o, sir.  I—­”

“P’r’aps you thought he was the one to ‘do the worryin’, hey?”

“I—­I don’t know.”

“Well, what’s your folks goin’ to have to eat this mornin’?”

Issy admitted his belief that fried clams were to be the breakfast.

“So?  Clams?  Is, did you ever read the soap advertisement about not bein’ a clam?”

“I—­I don’t know’s I ever did.  No, sir.”

“All right; I only called your attention to it as a warnin’, that’s all.  When anybody eats as many clams as you do there’s a fair chance of his turnin’ into one.  Now clear out, and don’t stay so long at breakfast that you can’t get back in time for dinner.  Trot!”