s.
'Mis' Denfield,' she says, 'won't you come over to Martha Goodno's and
bring your pot of salve. She's burned herself dreadfully drawin' the
coals out of the oven, set her dress on fire just at the waist.' So
mother went over and found it was a pretty bad, sure enough burn, and
she was groaning just fit to die. Mother spread a piece of linen and
laid it on and left her some salve. 'What did I tell you?' says mother's
neighbor, and they nodded their heads. But the queer thing was that
after that the cow was all right and she never had any more trouble.

"After she was well she took a spite against another neighbor, who used
to spin flax and sell the thread. Then her flax took to cutting up
queer, and would break off, and turn yellow, and trouble her dreadfully.
Mother was there one afternoon when it bothered so. 'Just throw a
handful in the fire,' says mother. 'Fire's purifying;' and she did. They
sent to mother again for salve, for Martha had scalded her right hand.
Then the folks talked it over and a letter was written and tucked under
her door, warning her to move, and the next-door man bought the place.
I've heard grandmother tell this over--she lived to be ninety, and she
was a good Christian woman, and she never added nor took away one iota.
There, I oughtn't have told all this before the child; she's white as a
ghost."

"You must go to bed this minute," exclaimed Eunice. "I'll go up with
you."

CHAPTER XI

THE VOICE OF A ROSE

There were some marvellous ghost stories in those days, and haunted
houses as well. The society of Psychical Research would have found many
queer things if it had existed at that time. The sailors spun strange
yarns over the power we call telepathy now. Many of the families had a
retired captain or disabled first mate, or supercargo, who had seen
mysterious appearances and heard warning voices. And it recalled to the
little girl some of the stories she had heard in India that she pieced
out of vague fragments. Maybe there were curious influences no one could
explain.

Elizabeth improved a little. She had been moved from cot to bed, but now
they packed her in a big chair and pushed her over to the window where
she could see the vegetable garden and the chicken yard. They had not
had very good luck at the hatching this season. The hens had missed
Elizabeth's motherly care. She had trained them to an amusing habit of
obedience, and the little chickens were her delight. Was she