I drank. She says it made me see a rat in the
cellar just after I had drank it, and that it was no wonder I saw bears
and bulls, too, after I went to sleep. Oh, my sakes alive, if I only had
a dream book, like the one Mrs. Emery used to have, I'd soon find out
what it means. Do you know, Olive, I have a great mind to go out to the
Indian camp this very afternoon and try if that fortune-telling squaw
who told Maggie Teed's fortune, and Mary Miller's, too, can't tell me
all about it. I want to know if it means that something terrible is
about to happen or not."

"Well," said Olive, "Esther, don't talk any more about it but read your
Bible, go to church, say your prayers, and ask God to take care of you;
then you need never fear dreams or anything else, for you must always
remember that God has more power than the devil, and always will have."

"Oh!" replied Esther, with a smile, "it is all very Well for you to talk
in that way, but I shouldn't wonder if the devil saw more of me than he
ever has yet before I die."

"Oh, Esther, how can you talk so; you ought to be ashamed of yourself,
and to think that you were brought up by grandmother too."

And so the afternoon passed slowly away, the beautiful blue sky which
had been so clear all day began to assume a darkish aspect, and
threatening clouds spread themselves between the earth and heaven. By
the time Dan and the rest had come home to supper, it looked very much
like rain. Dan said it was going to rain sometime during the night; he
knew it, because his rheumatism was bad.

Supper being ready, they all sat down and enjoyed it. After supper Dan
took a smoke, Jane went to her accustomed seat in the parlor near her
plants, William Cox and John Teed went out to see their girls, Olive put
the boys to bed, and Esther sat down on the front door-step all by
herself and sang "The Sweet By-and-bye" in a low voice.

The hands of the old fashioned clock in the dining room indicated ten
minutes to eight, when a carriage drove up to the gate, and a well built
young man jumped out, opened the gate and came in. As he entered the
house he shook hands with Esther, saying as he did so: "Go and put on
your hat and sack and take a ride with me Esther, and I will tell you
why I did not call last evening as I promised." This young man was Bob
McNeal, by trade a shoemaker, and a fine looking young fellow he was,
too. His hair and eyes were black, features, rather handsome, and he
wore a sm