CHAPTER IT. 



RENEWING OLD ACQUAINTANCE. 



" We are not the only tenants of this Old Farm !" 



"Indeed!" said the mistress, resting the feather- 

 brush a moment, for she was dusting the bric-a-brac 

 upon our little parlor mantelpiece — "indeed ?" 



The first utterance was exclamatory, the second in- 

 terrogatory, and the two together, taken with the 

 glance cast at her spouse, expressed surprise, incred- 

 ulity and inquisitiveness in due proportion and succes- 

 sion. 



I stood at the open door, fencing out with my walk- 

 ing-stick our watch-dog "Dolf," who was always in- 

 clined to run into the forbidden precincts of the parlor. 

 We were outfitted for a long walk, Dolf and I. 



" It is quite true," I said, solemnly ; " we are not the 

 only tenants. There are a score — a hundred — in fact I 

 know not how many races of inhabitants here, all to the 

 manor born, and with a pedigree ante-dating William 

 Penn and his charter, his treaties and his aboriginal 

 treators. They are the real ' original inhabitants ' — 

 the birds and beasts and flying-creeping things. I 

 made the discovery yesterday. I am going to make 

 the acquaintance of my fellow-tenants to-day. Good- 

 b}^, my dear. Come, Dolf!" 



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