if you wish to inquire into the history
and antecedents of the Kenton and Joselyn families, I have no doubt
there are plenty of village gossips who can fill your ears full of it."

"Dar's one thing I foun' out, seh," remarked Uncle Eben, who always
served at table and was not too diffident to join in the conversation
of his betters, at times; "dis Joselyn man done dis'pear--er run away--
er dig out, somehow--an' he missus is mos' plumb crazy 'bout it."

"When did that happen?" asked Mary Louise.

"'Bout Chris'mas time, de stoahkeepah say. Nobody don't like him down
heah, 'cause he put on a 'strord'nary 'mount o' airs an' didn't mix wid
de town people, nohow. De stoahkeepeh t'inks Marse Joselyn am
crooked-like an' done squandeh a lot o' he wife's money befoh he went."

"Perhaps," said Mary Louise musingly, "that is why the poor woman is
glad to rent this house. I wish, however, we had gotten it for a more
pleasant reason."

"Don't pay attention to Eben's chatter, my dear," advised her
grandfather. "His authority seems to be the ancient storekeeper, whom I
saw but once and didn't fancy. He looks like an old owl, in those big,
horn-rimmed spectacles."

"Dat stoahkeepeh ain' no owl, Kun'l," asserted Uncle Eben earnestly.
"He done know all dey is to know 'roun' dese diggin's, an' a lot moah,
too. An' a owl is a mighty wise bird, Kun'l, ef I do say it, an' no
disrespec'; so what dat stoahkeepeh say I's boun' to take notice of."

Mary Louise spent the afternoon in examining her new possession and
"getting settled." For--wonder of wonders!--Joe Brennan arrived with
the trunks at three o'clock, some nine hours before the limit of
midnight. The Colonel, as he paid the man, congratulated him on making
such good time.

"Ya-as," drawled Joe; "I done pretty well, considerin'. But if I hadn't
hired out by the day I'd sure be'n a loser. I've be'n a good ten hours
goin' fer them trunks, fer I started at five this mornin'; so, if I'd
tooken a doller fer the job, I'd only made ten cents a hour, my price
bein' twenty-five. But, as it is," he added with pride, "I git my
reg'lar rate of a dollar 'n' a quarter a day."

"Proving that it pays to drive a bargain," commented the Colonel.

Mary Louise unpacked Gran'pa Jim's trunk first and put his room in
"apple-pie order," as Aunt Polly admiringly asserted. Then she settled
her own pretty room, held a conference with her servants about the
meals and supplies, and found it was then tim