His askin' me to
go is a real neighborly act."
"Huh! If he's so plaguy neighborly why don't he ask me to go, too? I'm
as nigh a neighbor as you be, ain't I?"
"He don't ask you because the buggy won't hold but two, and you know
it. I should think you'd be glad to have me save the expense of my fare.
Winnie S. would charge me fifty cents to take me to the depot, and the
fare on the excursion train is--"
"Now what kind of talk's that! I ain't complainin' 'cause you save the
expense. And I don't care if you go along with all the old men from here
to Joppa. What I'm sayin' is that I'm goin' to that Fair tomorrow. I can
go alone in the cars, I guess. There won't nobody kidnap me, as I know
of."
"But, Kenelm, I don't like to have you over there all by yourself. It'll
be so lonesome for you. If you'll only wait maybe I'll go again, myself.
Maybe we could both go together on Saturday."
"I don't want to go Saturday; I want to go tomorrow. Tomorrow's the
big day, when they have the best horse-racin'. Why, Darius Holt is
cal'latin' to make money tomorrow. He's got ten dollars bet on Exie B.
in the second race and--"
"Kenelm Parker! Is THAT what you want to go to that Cattle Show for? To
bet on horse trots! To gamble!"
"Aw, dry up. How'd I gamble? You don't let me have money enough to put
in the collection box Sundays, let alone gamblin'. I have to shove my
fist clear way down to the bottom of the plate whenever they pass it
for fear Heman Daniels'll see that I'm only lettin' go of a nickel.
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