Page:Father Henson's story of his own life.djvu/208

190 gentlemen began to gather around, chuckling with half-suppressed delight, to see the wrath of the Yankee. This only added fuel to the fire. "Well, Sir," said he, "do you suppose I am going to bring that stuff across the Atlantic for nothing?"—"I have never asked you to bring it for nothing. I am ready to pay you, and have been from the beginning."—"Well, Sir, you may take it away, and carry it where you please."—"O," said I, "I think, as you wanted it very much, I will not disturb it. You can have it now."—"No, Sir; take it away!"—"I beg your pardon, Sir," said I, "when I wanted to remove it you would not allow it, and now, for all me, it shall remain."' In the meantime the crowd enjoyed it and so did I. The result was, that by the next day the boards were removed to their proper place at no expense to me, and no bill was ever presented against me for carrying the lumber across the Atlantic.

I may be permitted to say that in that immense exhibition, my humble contribution received its due share of attention. Many