The Biters Bit

ELL, there was ioms thiug queer ubuut tht convention, and that' a f act, but if you want me to teil y ou just what 'twas you've got to pass your word not to let it go no íurther. It w three of them college students bad more money than brains, and wheu thev eow the town full of ministers ana delégate they got up to their tricks. I dunno just how they flxed it, but most of them dclcgates got invitations toa receptiou at President Holden's, and the re was more thau a hundred f rom the town invited, too. I teil you there was B deal of talk amonx the women about what they was to wear, and I guess most of the men calculated to brush themselves up a bit, too. Wcll, sir, the thing was done so neatthatDr. Bolden, he didn'thear notlimg bout lt, and the day come, and there waa hls wife attendin' the meetins' and takin' notes and leadin' the women's afternoon session. Bome of the women tbought she was apretty cool hand, but thon they coneluded she could hlre all the help she wanted, and they guesscd taere was a lot at bome a-cookin' the supper and flxin' the rooms. The doctor, he was standin' in the lobby talkin' to the minister when up comes Colonel f orter's colored man. "The Colonel's real sorry, sir," he says, "but him and Mr. Porter's got to be out of town this eTenlng." "Well, what if he has I" says the doctor. " Why, he can't be kt your reception,' ' says the minister. "Receptlon 1 I don't know nothmpc about a reeption." " Keception at your house," says the minister, and then it all come out, and the doctor he was mad and was ior udvertising straight off in the meetin' that some one had put up a triok on him, but the minister says: "Bold hard, does your wife knowl Haybe she's goln? to givo you a surprise." The doctor he knew she wasn't, but ba wanted she should koow as quick as could be, so he had word passed up to her to come out in the lobby. She cune out and there was her husband a-f uminir, and it was the minister told her what was up. "It's ome of them boys," said she at onco,with a kind Of apleasant smile, büt there carne a aort of twinkle into her eyes, too. " Wnat's the timei" says she. The minister he gave it a half after thrte. " Two hours good," ■aya she. And then she told the men they wasn't to say another word to any one; she vas a-going to havo the folks come and they houldn't want fors ometbin' t' eat, neither. The doctor he begun to teel soms better and he went and brought up the buggy and he had him drivo her round to one store and another, and they plolced up a cookéd ham and a biggish load of bread, and cakes and fruit. I guess she didn't forgot nothin', and she never lot on tuben whit put out, but acted througuout at Í there was the day bef ore her. When she got home shc tent word to one of the lady teachers to end her down throo or four of the haudicsl ïirl-aad aavs sho. there's or ?r. ' ■ can make llght biscolt quick set her on at lt and keep her a-going üll further notico. Th teacher ihe didn't flnd no one to beat hor at blscuit and ihe went straight on Uil the tlour give out and she couldnt miz no more, and then Bho caine down to the doctor', and before all was through she'd baked up what there was In that house, too. My word ! but it was f un to see one and another on 'cm come stroüing up to tbs house like they was goinir to cali and tben oo sooner 1 ruide than tbey wout in for all they was worth. Mra. Holden was all ready, and the rooms looked splendid wbeu the oompany began to come In, but wo didn't none of us see the doctor around. Fresently in he come at the ' . f back door and two men after him, luggin' ■omethin' heavy. "She's forgot tho icecream," fays he to me, in a wlnsper, and that'a where be'd been, a huntin' ice-creum, and he got it, too, and platea to put it on and moBtoMirait. Was there o big crowd! J should say there was; that was tho worst there was. There was food enongh of one sort or 'nother, but seats was acaree, that's a f act; bat Mrs. Holden and tbe doctor and tho minister thry kept a-?oin', and no one didn't notice any lack. The doctor knew pretty well from tho flrst where to look for tho young rascal that had sprung the triok on him, and as he was a-going out and in ho saw unough to act on. But lt wasn't tho nezt day, nor tbe nezt, as he sald any thing, and the boys was beginin' to think there wouldn't nothing Ie sald, whon the doctor he senda for theiu to hls private room. "Gentlemen," he Bays, "Ihopeyou'ro satisfled with what we dJd for your oompany the other night. There was a good many of them," says he, " au we didn't have time to bo as economical aa we should have liked. There's the bilis, gentlemen, and I give you till tho day atter to-morrow to bring mo the money." Did they pay upl You may depend they did. They saw the doctor wasn't going to malee no fuss, and you better beliovo they'd no wish to give themselves away. Yes, sir, the biters was bit thut time, and no mistake. But you takc care tho story don't go no further. A. E. a