luncheon with a good appetite, and then wandered down to Prout's Store,
ostensibly to ask if his trunk had arrived, but in reality to satisfy a
craving for human intercourse. The trunk had not come, Mr. Prout
informed him, but, as Wade couldn't well expect it before the morning,
he wasn't disappointed. He purchased one of Mr. Prout's best
cigars--price one nickel--and sat himself on the counter.

"Yes," said Mr. Prout, "them two houses is a good deal alike. In fact I
guess they're just alike. Anyway, old Colonel Selden Phelps built 'em
alike, an' I guess they ain't been much changed. I recollect my mother
tellin' how the old Colonel had them two houses built. The Colonel lived
over near Redding and folks used to say he was land-crazy. Every cent
the Colonel would get hold of he'd up an' buy another tract of land with
it. Owned more land hereabouts than you could find on the county map,
and they say he never had enough to eat in the house from one year's end
to t'other. Family half starved most of the time, so they used to tell.
The boy, Nathan, he up an' said he couldn't stand it; said he might's
well be a Roman Catholic, because then he would be certain of a full
meal once in awhile, but as it was every day was fast day. So he run
away down to Boston an' became a sailor. The Colonel never saw him
again, because he was lost at sea on his second voyage. That just left
the two girls, Mary and Evelyn. My mother used to say that every one
pitied them two girls mightily. Always looked thin and peaked, they did,
while as for Mrs. Phelps, why, folks said she just starved to death.
Anyway, she died soon after Nathan was drowned. Just to show how pesky
mean the old Colonel was, Mr. Herrick, they tell how one night the women
folks was sewing in the sittin'-room. Seems they was workin' on some
mighty particular duds and Mrs. Phelps had lighted an extra candle; the
Colonel never would allow a lamp in his house. Well, there they was
sittin' with the two candles burnin' when in stomps the Colonel. 'Hey,'