fore you knows
which end you've got hold on."

"But de tree, Clorindy," said Dolf; "tell me 'bout de tree."

"I'se comin' to dat," replied Clo, growing eager again. "I'd ben down to
see Dinah Jameson, at de cross roads; it was real late; we'd had a
prayer meetin' and I kinder forgot myself in de refreshin' season----"

"Yes," said Dolf, fearing she would go off in a long digression and lose
sight of the all-important topic, "dey is refreshin'; as preserves is to
de taste so is meetin's to de spirit--soothin', yer know."

"Jis' so," said Clorinda.

"Wal, yer was comin' home," suggested Dolf.

"Yes; two or tree on 'em came with me to de gate and dar dey left me. I
heeled it up de avenue jis' as hard as I could, but when I got near de
house I thort, suppose missus should see me, she's a pokin up at all
hours, she'd scold me like smoke. I jis' cut out ob de road to take de
path trough de thicket, and came in sight ob de ole cypress tree."

Clorinda broke off abruptly to recover her breath and to allow her
narrative to have its full effect upon her listener.

"Go on; oh, do go on!" cried Dolf.

Could the pair have seen the face leaning over the balcony, straining to
catch every word, they might almost have thought that one of the ghosts
they so dreaded had started up before them.

"I came in sight ob de cypress tree," recommenced Clo, working up her
story to a climax with great art.

"Yes, yes," said Dolf again. "In sight ob de tree----"

"I seed somethin' all in white a couchin' down dar, a throwin' up its
arms and moaning like. I jis' give one yell and danced away. When I got
to de house, what do you tink? dar was missus. Whar she come from I
don't know, and she give me goose again for screaming; but la! she was
white as a dead woman all de while."

"What could it all a ben?"

"I don't know more'n you. The next morning she sent for me, and she
telled me she'd hev to send me away ef I didn't quit dat habit of bein'
up so late and skeerin' de gals wid stories 'bout ghosts; so I jis' held
my tongue."

"And had you ebber seed anytink more?"

"Laws, I wouldn't go near dat tree after dark for all de money on Long
Island! I tells you dar's sometin' queer somewhar."

"So dar is," assented Dolf, in a perplexed manner, "dar is, sure."

"Don't yer say nothin', 'cause I'd get my walkin' papers ef yer did. But
ef you're so mighty wise, jis' tell me what yer makes ob all dis
mysteriousness?"

"Clorindy," said Dol