188 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



Misses, 1 done got right sick a seein' poor Mars' May- 

 fieP tuk that a-way — so cur'us Uke — 's tho' he'd done 

 loss 'is senses, and so I jes come straight home, and — " 

 "Oh, fudge!" 



The Mistress broke in abruptly upon Dan's story. 

 Her face had undergone a strange transformation 

 as the narrative proceeded. Its whiteness slowly 

 flushed into crimson ; its lines of anxiety gradu- 

 ally relaxed into curves of mirthfulness. Then came 

 another change — tears mounted to the eyes, and, as 

 they trickled out upon the cheeks, Dan had reached the 

 climax of his story, and, the good woman broke out into 

 her hysterical cry of mingled anger, amusement and 

 joy. Without another word she turned and left the 

 kitchen, leaving Dan overwhelmed with amazement. 



" Lawh bress yer, honey!" he said at last. "De 

 news 's been too much for her. It 's done turned her 

 own head, too !" 



Sarah was not much clearer than Dan in her view of 

 the situation ; but she saw, at least, that the old ser- 

 vant had made some sort of a mistake. She, therefore, 

 came to his relief in her usual sharp way. 



" There, Dan ! Go 'long, now, to your work. You've 

 been makin' a fool 'v yorself agin', 's usual. An' 

 w'at's wuss, you 've gi'en the Mistress a powerful bad 

 skeer. Purty feller you are, makin' out that your 

 betters is crazy ! I reckon you 're an old crank yourself, 

 an' orter been sent to the 'sylum long ago. Go 'long, 

 now, to your work !" 

 The irate cook flourished her jjau so vigorously that 



