"up-to-date," should be situated in a town that was quaint, and
picturesque, with inhabitants as fanciful, and superstitious as one
would find if he had traveled back a century.

True, there were residents who had recently come to the place for a
summer home, but the old people of the place clung to their old time
superstitions, their firm belief in "signs," their legends handed down
from one generation to another, and the newcomers humored them, listened
to their "yarns," and asked to hear more. Many of these stories were
quite as interesting as any folk tales, and none could tell them with
finer effect than old Cornelia Derby.

It was Marcus who had pointed her out to several of the girls who, one
morning, chanced to be standing near the gate as the old woman came up
the street.

"Oh, Marcus, do you really mean that she can tell all sorts of quaint
stories about this old town?" cried Betty Chase.

"I sure does," said Marcus, "and 'nuffin' pleases her like gittin' a
chance ter tell 'em ter folks as is willin' ter listen."

"Now, Valerie," said Betty, turning to her chum, "let's get her to tell
us some of the stories she knows about the fine old houses, and the
people that once lived in them."

"Fine!" cried Valerie, "but where would we find her?"

"She lives in a little old hut, 'round behin' the hill over there!" said
Marcus, "an' all yo' has ter do is ter go up dis street, an' yo'll sure
spot it, long 'fore yo' reach it, 'cause the top half er dat hut is red,
an' the bottom half is whitewash. It sure looks mighty quare!"

"Let's take a walk over there to-morrow, when our lessons are prepared,"
said Valerie, "but," she added, "I hope we find it."

"Yo' couldn't miss it," said Marcus, "for all yo' has ter do is ter go
up dis street, an' turn ter yo' left, den go a piece, an' turn ter yo'
right, an' walk 'til yo' come ter a big yaller house, an' dat's 'bout
half-way. Nex' yo' cross a field, skip over de place where de brook is
in summer an' come ter a piece er wall, stone wall, 'tis, an' it don't
seem ter b'long ter no place 'tall, an' de hut is jes' a little ways
beyond."

The sound of a bell sent them hurrying toward the house.

"Do you expect to remember all that?" Valerie asked on the way to the
class-room.

"If you do you'll be a wonder. I've forgotten it now."

Betty nodded confidently.

"We'll go over there to-morrow," she said.

The next afternoon, Betty helped Valerie with some puzzling probl