But now he was actually grateful to Mr.Curry, and he was about to embrace him, when the Walsinghams came in with the new kind of-double-pointed flatirons with wooden handles.

And all the rest of the guests brought the same articles excepting Mr.Rugby, and he had with him a patent stand for holding flatirons.

Potts got madder and madder every minute, and by the time the company had all arrived he was nearly insane with rage; and he went up to bed, leaving his wife to entertain the guests.
In the morning they counted up the spoils, and found that they had two hundred and thirteen flatirons, one stand and a cow-bell.

And now the Pottses have cut the Smiths and Browns and Johnsons and Thompsons and the rest entirely, for they are convinced that there was a preconcerted design to play a trick upon them.
[Illustration: A FLAT-IRON WEDDING] The fact, however, is that the hardware store in the place had an overstock of flatirons and sold them at an absurdly low figure, and Potts' guests unanimously went for the cheapest thing they could find, as people always do on such occasions.

Potts thinks he will not celebrate his "silver wedding.".