eat so much they die. Tell that to
Stuffy," and Dan laughed, as he took up another bit of rock with a
lichen on it.

"I know one thing about this mullein leaf: the fairies use them for
blankets," said Demi, who had not quite given up his faith in the
existence of the little folk in green.

"If I had a microscope, I'd show you something prettier than fairies,"
said Dan, wondering if he should ever own that coveted treasure. "I knew
an old woman who used mullein leaves for a night-cap because she had
face-ache. She sewed them together, and wore it all the time."

"How funny! was she your grandmother?"

"Never had any. She was a queer old woman, and lived alone in a little
tumble-down house with nineteen cats. Folks called her a witch, but she
wasn't, though she looked like an old rag-bag. She was real kind to me
when I lived in that place, and used to let me get warm at her fire when
the folks at the poorhouse were hard on me."

"Did you live in a poorhouse?"

"A little while. Never mind that I didn't mean to speak of it;" and Dan
stopped short in his unusual fit of communicativeness.

"Tell about the cats, please," said Demi, feeling that he had asked an
unpleasant question, and sorry for it.

"Nothing to tell; only she had a lot of 'em, and kept 'em in a barrel
nights; and I used to go and tip over the barrel sometimes, and let 'em
out all over the house, and then she'd scold, and chase 'em and put 'em
in again, spitting and yowling like fury."

"Was she good to them?" asked Demi, with a hearty child's laugh,
pleasant to hear.

"Guess she was. Poor old soul! she took in all the lost and sick cats in
the town; and when anybody wanted one they went to Marm Webber, and she
let 'em pick any kind and color they wanted, and only asked ninepence,
she was glad to have her pussies get a good home."

"I should like to see Marm Webber. Could I, if I went to that place?"

"She's dead. All my folks are," said Dan, briefly.

"I'm sorry;" and Demi sat silent a minute, wondering what subject would
be safe to try next. He felt delicate about speaking of the departed
lady, but was very curious about the cats, and could not resist asking
softly,

"Did she cure the sick ones?"

"Sometimes. One had a broken leg, and she tied it up to a stick, and it
got well; and another had fits, and she doctored it with yarbs till
it was cured. But some of 'em died, and she buried 'em; and when they
couldn't get well, she killed 'em eas