Produced by Bethanne M. Simms Christine D. and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: THE SQUIRREL INN.] THE SQUIRREL INN BY FRANK R. STOCKTON _AUTHOR OF "RUDDER GRANGE," "THE LADY, OR THE TIGER?" "THE LATE MRS. NULL," "THE CASTING AWAY OF MRS. LECKS AND MRS. ALESHINE," "THE MERRY CHANTER," "THE HUNDREDTH MAN," ETC._ [Illustration] NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1891 COPYRIGHT, 1891, BY FRANK R. STOCKTON. _All rights reserved._ THE DE VINNE PRESS. CONTENTS PAGE I THE STEAMBOAT PIER 1 II THE BABY, THE MAN, AND THE MASTERY 7 III MATTHEW VASSAR 16 IV LODLOE UNDERTAKES TO NOMINATE HIS SUCCESSOR 25 V THE LANDLORD AND HIS INN 32 VI THE GREEK SCHOLAR 40 VII ROCKMORES AHEAD 47 VIII MISS MAYBERRY 56 IX THE PRESERVATION OF LITERATURE 61 X ROSE VERSUS MAYBERRY 68 XI LANIGAN BEAM 78 XII LANIGAN CHANGES HIS CRAVAT 90 XIII DECREES OF EXILE 96 XIV BACKING OUT 101 XV THE BABY IS PASSED AROUND 110 XVI MESSRS. BEAM AND LODLOE DECLINE TO WAIT FOR THE SECOND TABLE 119 XVII BANANAS AND OATS 132 XVIII SWEET PEAS 138 XIX THE AROUSED ROSE 149 XX AN INGENUOUS MAID 157 XXI TWISTED TRYSTS 163 XXII THE BLOSSOM AND THE LITTLE JAR 175 XXIII HAMMERSTEIN 181 XXIV TRANSLATIONS 197 XXV MR. TIPPENGRAY MOUNTS HIGH 204 XXVI ANOTHER SQUIRREL IN THE TAP-ROOM 213 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE THE SQUIRREL INN FRONTISPIECE ON DECK 11 A WAGON-LOAD OF NURSE-MAIDS 28 STEPHEN PETTER 33 THE SIGN 38 A GREEK IN AN OUTHOUSE 42 MR. TIPPENGRAY 44 "I SUPPOSE THIS IS MRS. CRISTIE" 49 LODLOE IS INTRODUCED TO STEPHEN PETTER 53 "PASSING NEARER, MR. TIPPENGRAY STOPPED" 65