have been content to drift along in the casual manner
of the old South, and his clear-sightedness more than doubled the
income of the place.

In the healthy out-of-door life I soon forgot that nerves existed. The
only thing which at all marred the enjoyment of those first few days was
the knowledge of occasional clashings between Radnor and his father. I
think that they were both rather ashamed of these outbreaks, and I
noticed that they tried to conceal the fact from me by an elaborate if
somewhat stiff courtesy toward each other.

In order to make clear the puzzling series of events which followed, I
must go back to, I believe, the fifth night of my arrival. Radnor was
giving a dance at Four-Pools for the purpose, he said, of introducing me
into society; though as a matter of fact Polly Mathers was the guest of
honor. In any case the party was given, and everyone in the neighborhood
(the term "neighborhood" is broad in Virginia; it describes a ten mile
radius) both young and old came in carriages or on horseback; the
younger ones to dance half the night, the older ones to play cards and
look on. I met a great many pretty girls that evening--the South
deserves its reputation--but Polly Mathers was by far the prettiest; and
the contest for her favors between Radnor and young Mattison was
spirited and open. Had Rad consulted his private wishes, the sheriff
would not have been among the guests.

It was getting on toward the end of the evening and the musicians, a
band of negro fiddlers made up from the different plantations, were
resting after a Virginia reel that had been more a romp than a dance,
when someone--I think it was Polly herself--suggested that the company
adjourn to the laurel walk to see if the ha'nt were visible. The story
of old Aunt Sukie's convulsions and of the spirited roast chicken had
spread through the countryside, and there had been a good many laughing
allusions to it during the evening. Running upstairs in search of a hat
I met Rad on the landing, buttoning something white inside his coat,
something that to my eyes looked suspiciously like a sheet. He laughed
and put his finger on his lips as he went on down to join the others.

It was a bright moonlight night almost as light as day. We moved across
the open lawn in a fairly compact body. The girls, though they had been
laughing all the evening at the exploits of the ha'nt, showed a cautious
tendency to keep on the inside. Rad was in the fron