"I know it," sez she, "and I can tell you, Josiah Alien's wife, where their
property has gone, it has gone down Phileman Clapsaddle's throat. Look down
that man's throat and you will see 150 acres of land, a good house and
barn, twenty sheep and forty head of cattle."

"Why-ee!" sez I.

"Yes, and you'll see four mules, a span of horses, two buggies, a double
sleigh, and three buffalo robes. He's drinked 'em all up, and two horse
rakes, a cultivator, and a thrashin' machine."

"Why-ee!" sez I agin. "And where are the children?"

"The boys have inherited their father's habits and drink as bad as he duz
and the oldest girl has gone to the bad."

"Oh dear! oh dear me!" sez I, and we both sot silent for a spell. And then
thinkin' I must say sunthin' and wantin' to strike a safe subject and a
good lookin' one, I sez:

"Where is your Aunt Cassandra's girl? That pretty girl I see to your house
once?"

"That girl is in the lunatick asylum."

"Serepta Pester," sez I, "be you tellin' the truth?"

"Yes, I be, the livin' truth. She went to New York to buy millinery goods
for her mother's store. It wuz quite cool when she left home and she hadn't