"I warn't contradictin', I was talkin'," replied young Adam, abashed by
the evident disapprobation that surrounded him.
"Well, don't talk, suh, until you can talk sense," rejoined his father.
"When a talker has turned ninety an' can meet me on equal ground, I'll
consent to argue with him."
His lower lip protruded threateningly from his toothless gums, while
two tears of anger rolled slowly out of his eyes and over his veined and
roughened cheeks to the crescent shaped hollow of his chin. So deeply
rooted in his mind was the conviction that his ninety years furnished an
unanswerable argument for the truth of his opinions, that the assurance
of experience had conferred upon him something of that manner of
superhuman authority with which the assurance of inexperience had
endowed Mr. Mullen.
"I for one was al'ays against Abel's marrying," interposed Betsey with
a placable air. "I knew she'd be a drag on him, an' now that he's goin'
into politics with sech good chances, the mo's the pity. I've told him
so time and agin when he stopped at the or'nary."
At this point the appearance of Solomon Hatch caused her to explain
hurriedly, "We were jest speakin' of Abel an' his chances for the
Legislature.
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