Kenelm, you can begin smokin' again right off. Here's
a box of cigars I bought on purpose for you; they're the kind the
President smokes.'
"Which wa'n't a bad yarn for a church member that hadn't had any more
practice than Hannah had.
"Well, Kenelm was paralyzed, but he lit up one of the cigars and found
'twas better than Abbie's brand. He asked Hannah what she thought the
church folks would say, but she said she didn't care what they said;
her travels had broadened her mind and she couldn't cramp herself to the
ideas of a little narrow place like East Wellmouth.
"Dinner that day was a bigger meal than breakfast, and two of the cigars
went fine after it. Kenelm hemmed and hawed and fin'lly said that he
wouldn't be home to supper; said he'd got to go downtown and would get a
bite at the Trav'lers' Rest or somewheres. It surprised him to find that
Hannah didn't raise objections, but she didn't, not a one. Just smiled
and said, 'All right,' and told him to have a good time. And Abbie's
supper didn't seem so good to him that night, and her cigars--bein' five
centers--wa'n't in it with that Washington box.
"Hannah didn't have dinner the next day until two o'clock, but 'twas
worth waitin' for. Turkey was twenty-three cents a pound, but she had
one, and plum puddin', too. She kept pressin' Kenelm to have a little
more, so 'twas after three when they got up from the table.
"'Twas a rainy, drizzly afternoon and the stove felt mighty homey and
cozy.
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