always called him Uncle Si, and
this circumstance rather prejudiced me in favor of him. The facts,
too, that Uncle Si was not overcrowded with business, that he was
considerate in his charges, and that he was of so great versatility
that he could boss the plumbing as well as the carpentering--these
facts confirmed us in the opinion that Uncle Si was just the man for
our needs.

I went with Mrs. Denslow to call upon this gifted and honest son of
toil. His modest place of business was indicated to the passer-by by
this insinuating sign:

SILAS PLUM, CARPENTER & BUILDER.
COFFIN BOXES A SPECIALITY.

I am not a superstitious person. I think I have already told you so.
Still I have instincts and intuitions; and you, who are not wholly dead
to the subtle influences of the more delicate sentiments, will probably
sympathize with me when I admit that Mr. Plum's sign did not inspire me
with that enthusiasm which is at least comforting to the possessor.
The reference to Mr. Plum's "speciality" was what cast a temporary
gloom over me, but Mrs. Denslow was not one of those who suffer a
detail so insignificant as this to stand in her way; so I was bounced
into Uncle Si's shop and presented to Uncle Si in propria persona.

Uncle Si impressed me as being a very trustworthy man. He looked not
unlike myself; his gaunt, sinewy frame betokened severe practicability,
and his calm blue eyes and large straight mouth combined to give his
face an unmistakable and convincing expression of candor. Of speech he
was monosyllabic, and this peculiarity pleased me, for I have always
admired and always cultivated directness and terseness, there being
nothing else more distasteful to me than the prolixity, diffuseness,
pleonasm, amplification, redundance, and copia verborum of some people.
I told Uncle Si all about the new purchase we had made, and I drew upon
a pine board a fairly correct plan of the Schmittheimer house as it now
stood. I gave him to understand that numerous and important changes
were required, and that I desired to secure from him an estimate as to
the cost of those changes.

"I can't tell how much it will be till I know what you want," said
Uncle Si.

I recognized the justness of this remark, yet at the same time I felt
bitter toward Uncle Si for not knowing without being told. To tell the
truth, _I_ didn't know. I had heard Alice and Adah talking in a
general way about "closets" and a "new hall," and "hardwood f