ntain-tops in the rear. Within, the lower rooms were large
and low, with quite a good deal of furniture in them. There was no
earthly reason why we should not be perfectly jolly and comfortable
here. The more we saw, the more delighted we were at the odd experience
we were about to have. Mrs. Carson busied herself in getting things in
order for our supper and general accommodation. She made Danny carry
our trunk to a bedroom in the second story, and then set him to work
building a fire in a great fire-place, with a crane for the kettle.

When she had done all she could, it was nearly dark, and after lighting
a couple of candles, she left us, to go home and get supper for her own
family.

As she and Danny were about to depart in the cart, she ran back to ask
us if we would like to borrow a dog.

"There aint nuthin to be afeard of," she said; "for nobody hardly ever
takes the trouble to lock the doors in these parts, but bein' city
folks, I thought ye might feel better if ye had a dog."

We made haste to tell her that we were not city folks, but declined the
dog. Indeed, Euphemia remarked that she would be much more afraid of a
strange dog than of robbers.

After supper, which we enjoyed as much as any meal we ever ate in our
lives, we each took a candle, and after arranging our bedroom for the
night, we explored the old house. There were lots of curious things
everywhere,--things that were apparently so "old timey," as my wife
remarked, that David Dutton did not care to take them with him to his
new farm, and so left them for his son, who probably cared for them even
less than his father did. There was a garret extending over the whole
house, and filled with old spinning-wheels, and strings of onions, and
all sorts of antiquated bric-a-brac, which was so fascinating to me
that I could scarcely tear myself away from it; but Euphemia, who was
dreadfully afraid that I would set the whole place on fire, at length
prevailed on me to come down.

We slept soundly that night, in what was probably the best bedroom of
the house, and awoke with a feeling that we were about to enter on a
period of some uncommon kind of jollity, which we found to be true
when we went down to get breakfast. I made the fire, Euphemia made the
coffee, and Mrs. Carson came with cream and some fresh eggs. The good
woman was in high spirits. She was evidently pleased at the idea of
having neighbors, temporary though they were, and it had probably bee