Polly has the princ'pal charge of that branch of the bus'nis, an' the one I stay away from, when I _don't_ go," he said with a grin, "'s the Prespyteriun." John laughed.
"No, sir," said David, "I ain't much of a hand for't.

Polly used to worry at me about it till I fin'ly says to her, 'Polly,' I says, 'I'll tell ye what I'll do.

I'll compermise with ye,' I says.

'I won't undertake to foller right along in your track--I hain't got the req'sit speed,' I says, 'but f'm now on I'll go to church reg'lar on Thanksgivin'.' It was putty near Thanksgivin' time," he remarked, "an' I dunno but she thought if she c'd git me started I'd finish the heat, an' so we fixed it at that." "Of course," said John with a laugh, "you kept your promise ?" "Wa'al, sir," declared David with the utmost gravity, "fer the next five years I never missed attendin' church on Thanksgivin' day but _four_ times; but after that," he added, "I had to beg off.

It was too much of a strain," he declared with a chuckle, "an' it took more time 'n Polly c'd really afford to git me ready." And so he rambled on upon such topics as suggested themselves to his mind, or in reply to his auditor's comments and questions, which were, indeed, more perfunctory than otherwise.