She laid her pretty head in my lap, sobbin' out, "What shall I do? What
shall I do?"

Good land! I couldn't sort 'em out and describe them that passed by in
an hour. _Frontispiece_





SAMANTHA AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION


CHAPTER I.

I had noticed for some time that Josiah Allen had acted queer. He would
seem lost in thought anon or oftener, and then seemin'ly roust himself
up and try to act natural.

And anon he would drag his old tin chest out from under the back
stairway and pour over musty old deeds and papers, drawed up by his
great-grandpa mebby.

He did this last act so often that I said to him one day, "What under
the sun do you find in them yeller old papers to attract you so,
Josiah?"

But he looked queer at me, queer as a dog, as if he wuz lookin' through
me to some distant view that interested him dretfully, and answered
evasive, and mebby he wouldn't answer at all.