I had just one little glimpse of the old gentleman when he come in; then the bed hid him. Mrs. Phelps she jumps for him, and says: “Has he come?”

“No,” says her husband.

“Good-ness gracious!” she says, “what in the world can have become of him?”

“I can’t imagine,” says the old gentleman; “and I must say it makes me dreadful uneasy.”

“Uneasy!” she says; “I’m ready to go distracted! He must ’a’ come; and you’ve missed him along the road. I know it’s so — something tells me so.”

“Why, Sally, I couldn’t miss him along the road — you know that.”