"But he wasn't in _my_ chair, or even in _my_ shop! There's somethin' doggone' funny about this. Just as like as not Bill Grayson has fixed a frame-up on me to get me in bad with the union. I ain't goin' to take no chances--"
"Joe McInness!" his wife bristled defiantly, "_you_ may belong to the union, but _I_ don't!--Give me the key to that shop! I'm going to finish clipping that boy's hair!"
Sube was a little late for supper, but he came in with a broad smile--broad though rather forced--and a neatly shingled head.
"Hey, everybody look at me!" he called cheerfully. "I've got the first shingle of the season, and I paid for it with my own money, too! And, mama, can I go to prayer meeting with Giz Tobin to-night? I'm all dressed for it."
Mrs. Cane had gladly given her consent when Cathead threw a bomb into the happy home circle.
"Sube wasn't at school this afternoon," he announced.
"What's that?" demanded Mr. Cane glaring at Sube. "Do you mean to say that after all I said to you--?"
Sube had begun to shrivel under his father's relentless gaze when Cathead interjected:
"But there _wasn't_ any school in _his_ room! So many of the kids went to Mag Macdougall's funeral that Miss Wheeler had to dismiss the room, didn't she, Sube?"
Sube huskily admitted that she did, while Cathead bemoaned the misfortune of his being in another room, and Mr. Cane showed signs of being relieved, although he was at the same time annoyed at Cathead's forwardness
There was something of a sensation at the breakfast table next morning when sube appeared with his best clothes on, and without waiting for interrogation modestly explained that his school suit had been incapacitated by his futile attempt to do the household a real service. He had arisen early and quietly taken the rake to the attic for the purpose of dragging the rainwater tank for the remains of an alleged dead cat.
He had not succeeded in locating the body, but had unfortunately lost his balance and fallen into the tank, from which he had escaped with his life only after a terrific struggle (although the tank was not over three feet deep), and he called Cathead to witness that he had carefully examined Exhibit A and found it to be a thoroughly saturated and badly polluted suit of school clothes.