s
pockets, occasionally checking himself in the very act of whistling
away the oppressive silence.

The sudden opening of a door gave him quite a start, and turning
quickly, he saw Daddy, who said good naturedly, "I guess ye're skeered
ain't ye? 'Tween you an' me I've felt ruther shaky myself lately in
this ere great big house, where there is so much spare room, fur
ghosts and sperits of pussens is apt fur to hang around the house
where they die."

"O, that's all nonsense, Daddy," said Tom, "I thought you knew too
much to believe in such things."

"Wall, I don't really believe in 'em, but I did feel kinder queer
like, last night when I went through that are long hall to the Honey's
room, but I never hev really seen a sperit yet, but I've seen shaders
that looked mighty like 'em, and I ain't no doubt, if there is any, I
shell see 'em, fur the Honey says I'm uncommon sharp that are way.
Laws, she ain't afeared of nothin: why, she went inter the doctor's
room, the next day after he was laid out, and stayed thar ever so long
all alone, and wouldn't even come out fur to see Mr. Sherman, 'Tween
you an' me, I guess the Honey is throwin off on that are Sherman, fur
ye see I hed to go right inter the ball-room fur her, the night the
doctor died, and I see her, with my own eyes, draw away from him as if
he had hurt her, and I kinder hed a inklin that may be he'd been
drinking a leetle too much, fur, to my sartin knowledge, she ain't
'lowed him fur to come nigh her sence. But I guess its affectin' her
serious, fur she does 'pear to feel the wust she ever did, and I used
to say, sometimes, when the doctor was brung hum dead drunk, she
couldn't feel no wuss if he was really dead; but them times was
nothin' to the way she broke down the night he died. 'Tween you an'
me," said Daddy, as if suddenly recollecting himself, "it wouldn't be
best fur to say nothin' about this to nobody, fur the Honey likes to
keep her own affairs strict."

"Certainly not," said Tom, and he walked straight to the parlor, and
repeated to his parents every word he had heard.

"She certainly grieves more than is natural considering the
circumstances," said the Squire, "and if the old man's conjectures are
correct, you are here just in the nick of time, Tom."

"I don't know about that," said Tom, rather dubiously, "she will have
to change wonderfully if she gives a fellow a chance to see or speak
to her while we stay."

"I shall try to prevail upon the