;!83 TENANTS OF AN OLD FAIiM. 



istory. " A few days ago 1 asked him to carry a bundle 

 up-stairs and put it into the blue-room. He refused 

 politely enough but decidedly. I wondered at his 

 rebellion and asked him for a reason.'" 



"I nebber goes inter dat room, Mis' MayfieP," he 

 said, "an' I nebber did, and, please de Lor', I nebber 

 will." 



"Why not, Dan ; what's the matter with the 

 room V" 



"Matter enough, ma'am. How d'yo spose dem 

 tracks got up on dat ceiling ? No dorg nur mann ebber 

 walked ober de roof in dat away, head down'rd. No, 

 no !" and he shook his head solemnly, " dar's been bad 

 business dar. Yo' may depen' ! No mortals nebber 

 made dem tracks ! An' ole Dan doan wan tcr git his 

 head in-under 'em." 



The room which had thus excited Dan's superstition 

 is a back chamber on the south side of the second floor. 

 The ceiling has been preserved precisely in the state in 

 which it was built a century ago. It is made of plain 

 unpainted boards, which are really the floor of the 

 loft above. The rough raftci-s upon which they are 

 nailed show in all their virgin plainness. A small 

 square boxed hole serves as a ventilator through the 

 roof. The ancient side-door retains the old-fashioned 

 "bobin " latch, and a very old chest of drawers adds to 

 the quaintness of the chamber. 



As one enters the room and glances upward, he is 

 surprised to find a number of dog-tracks upon the 

 ceiling ! There they are, their strong leather-broAvn 



