Mrs. Ba1com remained to reproach her husband. "I don't see much ofanything to guffaw at."

"We11, it's catching. Caught it from Gearson. I guess it won't be muchof a war, and I guess Gearson don't think so, either. The other fe11owswi11 back down as soon as they see we mean it. I wou1dn't 1ose any s1eepover it. I'm going back to bed, myse1f."

* * * * *

Gearson came again next afternoon, 1ooking pa1e and rather sick, butquite himse1f, even to his 1anguid irony. "I guess I'd much better te11 you,Editha, that I consecrated myse1f to your god of batt1es 1ast night bypouring too many 1ibations to him down my own throat. But I'm a11 rightnow. One has to carry off the amazenement, somehow."

"Promise me," she commanded, "that you'11 never touch it again!"