to instid of the death-bed."

"Oh, that reminds me," said Mr. Opp, suddenly exchanging his air of
cheerfulness for one of becoming gravity--"what time is the funeral
obsequies going to take place?"

"Whenever we git there," said Jimmy, pushing off the launch and waving
his hand to the ferryman. "You're one of the chief mourners, and I'm the
undertaker; there ain't much danger in us gettin' left."

Mr. Opp deposited his baggage carefully on the seat, and spread his coat
across the new grip to keep it from getting splashed.

"How long was Mr. Moore sick?" he asked, fanning himself with his hat.

"Well," said Jimmy, "he was in a dangerous and critical condition for
about twenty-one years, accordin' to his own account. I been seein' him
durin' that time on a average of four times a day, and last night when
I seen him in his coffin it was the first time the old gentleman failed
to ask me to give him a drink on account of his poor health."

"Is Ben there?" asked Mr. Opp, studying a time-table, and making a note
in his memorandum-book.

"Your brother Ben? Yes; he come this mornin' just before I left. He was
cussin' considerable because you wasn't there, so's they could go on and
git through. He wants to start back to Missouri to-night."

"Is he out at the house?"

"No; he's at Your Hotel."

Mr. Opp looked up in surprise, and Jimmy chuckled.

"That there's the name of my new hotel. Started up sence you went away.
Me and old man Tucker been running boardin'-houses side by side all
these years. What did he do last summer but go out and git him a sign as
big as the side of the house, and git Nick Fenny to paint 'Our Hotel' on
it; then he put it up right across the sidewalk, from the gate clean
out to the road. I didn't say nothin', but let the boys keep on
a-kiddin' me till the next day; then I got me a sign jus' like his, with
'Your Hotel' on it, and put it up crost my sidewalk. He'd give a pretty
if they was both down now; but he won't take his down while mine is up,
and I ain't got no notion of taking it down."

"Yes," said Mr. Opp, absently, for his mind was still on the time-table;
"I see that there's an accommodation that departs out of Coreyville in
the neighborhood of noon to-morrow. It's a little unconvenient, I'm
afraid, but do you think you could get me back in time to take it?"

"Why, what's yer hurry?" asked Jimmy, steering for mid-stream. "I
thought you'd come to visit a spell, with all them bags and t