What was Phineas goin' on about when you was in his store ?" Mr.Bearse forgot personal grievance in his eagerness to tell the story.
"Why," he began, "you see, 'twas like this: 'Twas all on account of Leander.

Leander's been drafted.

You know that, of course ?" Jed nodded.

Leander Babbitt was the son of Phineas Babbitt, Orham's dealer in hardware and lumber and a leading political boss.
Between Babbitt, Senior, and Captain Sam Hunniwell, the latter President of the Orham National Bank and also a vigorous politician, the dislike had always been strong.

Since the affair of the postmastership it had become, on Babbitt's part, an intense hatred.