“I mean to, sir,” replied Larry, though he little dreamed under what circumstances. A few days later, as he and Job were at work in what was called “the further field,” on their way home they overheard some one talking in a loud tone in an old barn standing some distance from the road. Drawn thither out of curiosity, they looked into the building through one of the cracks between the boards, to find Pluto Alexander Snyder there reciting a “piece” with all the gusto at his command. “By gum!” whispered Job, “if he ain’t oratin’ his Gainsboro stump speech, he may hitch me up to draw the cultivator ’tween the corn rows to-morrer. Ain’t he a squelcher?” Unconscious of his intent listeners, Pluto, the embryo lawyer, continued to practice on his “oration,” going entirely through the speech twice, and dwelling upon what he considered its finest points over and over again. “If that don’t set out John Howlitt’s eyes I don’t know what will,” he said to himself. “When he hears this Fourth of July oration of mine he will think I am fit to associate with his daughter. As if the Howlitts were anywhere near as good as the Snyders!” Job had hard work to keep from laughing outright while he listened, and as soon as they were a safe distance from the old barn, he lay down on the ground and rolled and roared until he was completely out of breath. “Did you ever see th’ beat of thet, Larry. Say, my boy, if you could orate like that, your fortun’ would be made, ha--ha--ha!” “I believe I can, Job. Now listen.” Then, to the amazement of his companion, Larry Little repeated the “oration” of Pluto Snyder’s from beginning to end. He may have made some mistakes, but they were of small account, and Job listened with open-mouthed astonishment. “By gum!” exclaimed Job, after a long pause, “how in creation did you do thet? Jess as Pluck Snyder had it, word fer word, even to the flourishes. Could yer do thet ag’in?” “Of course I could, Job. It was always easy for me to remember.” “If I had a hang-on to my memory like thet, I’d make my fortin’, see if I wouldn’t.” As Larry and Job were working up that way the next day they took time to call at the old barn, to find Pluto Snyder already there going through his daily rehearsal. Nor was that the last time the amused twain sought their post to listen, for they continued to do this until they tired of it, and Larry could repeat every word and gesture. To prove this he went through the entire “oration” before Job the day preceding the Fourth. Though Larry had got his new suit of clothes, he knew that Lucy had promised to go to Gainsboro with young Snyder, so he spared himself the humiliation of being refused. In his disappointment he donned his best clothes, and though Mr. Howlitt had intended for him to ride along with the family, he went on foot and alone, “the same as the girl who went to get married.”