looked so smart that people thought he was going to be married."

"Did you ever see any one so lean favored as he is?" asked one of
the company. "Folks say he's so thin that he turns in his hat, but
that ere don't seem likely."

Another of the company now looked up from her work, showing, at the
same time, the nice strips she had been cutting. "I can't believe,"
said she, "all the stories they tell of old Scrimp's miserly ways.
They say that he almost lives upon samples."

"Lives upon samples? What does that mean? I never heard of such a
thing. What kind of victuals is samples?"

"Why, Lois Ward, don't you know what a sample is? Why, he goes to a
shop, and he asks for samples of all the different kinds of sugar,
and so of tea and coffee, and he makes these last a great while, and
then he goes to another, and does the same thing; and, when he
thinks they know his tricks, he walks clear over to another town
after samples; and so he lives upon almost nothing. They say that he
keeps all his money in an old boot hanging up in his cellar, because
he thinks no robber would think to look in an old boot after money."

"They tell me," said another, "that he kills cats for their skins,
and that he goes out o' nights with a long pole to kill skunks, and
roasts them to get their grease, because skunk's grease is mighty
powerful for men and beasts sometimes, and sells for a good deal,
'cause there ain't many folks willing to undertake the nasty
varmints."