e babe, give him the poor little dead one--he
cannot hurt that! And he will not know there was another. Oh! hide and
save my child!'

"Master, I was used to queer doings, but this was a little the queerest.
But if I was to conceal that second child in order to save it, it was
necessary to stop its mouth, for it was squalling like a wild cat. So I
took a vial of paregoric from my pocket and give it a drop and it went
off to sleep like an angel. I wrapped it up warm and lay it along with
my shawl and bonnet in a dark corner. Just then the man rapped again.

"'Come in, master,' said I.

"'No, bring me the babe,' he said.

"I took up the dead infant. Its mother kissed its brow and dropped tears
upon its little cold face. And I carried it to the man outside.

"'Is it asleep?' the willain asked me.

"'Yes, master,' said I as I put it, well wrapped up, in his arms; 'very
sound aslep.'

"'So much the better,' said the knave, walking away.

"I bolted the door and went back to my patient. With her free hand she
seized mine and pressed it to her lips and then, holding up her left
hand, pointed to the wedding ring upon her third finger.

"'Draw it off and keep it,' she said; 'conceal the child under your
shawl and take her with you when you go! Save her and your fortune shall
be made.'

"I declare, master, I hadn't time to think, before I heard one of them
wretches rap at the door.

"'Come! Get ready to go,' he said.

"She also beckoned me. I hastened to her. With eager whispers and
imploring gestures she prayed me to take her ring and save her child.

"'But you,' said I, 'who is to attend to you?'

"'I do not know or care! Save her!'

"The rapping continued. I ran to the corner where I had left my things.
I put on my bonnet, made a sort of sling around my neck of the silk
handkercher, opened the large part of it like a hammock and laid the
little sleeping babe there. Then I folded my big shawl around my breast
and nobody any the wiser. The rapping was very impatient.

"'I am coming,' said I.

"'Remember!' whispered the poor girl.

"'I will,' said I, and went out and opened the door. There stood t'other
willain with his head covered with black crape. I dreamt of nothing but
black-headed demons for six months afterward.

"'Are you ready?' says he.

"'Yes, your worship,' says I.

"'Come along, then.'

"And, binding another silk hankercher round my eyes, he led me along.

"Instead of my mule, a carriage s