Our Odd-men 



that condition of pent grievance and irrita- 

 tion to which the least thing in the world 

 may play the part of match to powder- 

 barrel. Poor Sprightly's hat happening to 

 be the first thing to catch his eye, the old 

 gentleman exploded on that. 



" What do you mean, sir," he roared, so 

 suddenly that Sprightly visibly jumped, 

 ''by wearing that thing on your head? 

 Take it off this very instant, and never let 

 me see you in it again ! " 



I found Sprightly a little later meekly 

 wrapping his beautiful hat in the Brighton 

 Herald, preparatory to bartering it some- 

 where in the town for a different kind ; and 

 I could not help thinking the poor fellow 

 had been crying about it, for all his six feet 

 and the grey hair coming thickly among 

 the carrots. My heart smote me and I 

 went straight to my Father, who was now 

 in high good humour and chatting with 

 Mary over the tea-table. 



''Father," I said, with all the gravity I 

 could command, and with some little touch 

 of reproach in my tone, "'what is Sprightly 

 to wear on his head ? " 



"Wear on his head .'^ Why, his hat, I 

 suppose," he said with the greatest^ inno- 

 cence. 



" You don't mind if he wears a white hat, 

 179 



