uz monst'us sorry,
but Jeff had fell ove'boa'd er jumped off'n de steamboat on de way ter
Wim'l'ton, en got drownded, en co'se he couldn' sell 'im back, much ez
he'd lak ter 'bleedge Mars' Dugal'.

"Well, atter Chloe heared dis she pu'tended ter do her wuk, en ole mis'
wa'n't much mo' use ter nobody. She put up wid her, en hed de doctor gib
her medicine, en let 'er go ter de circus, en all so'ts er things fer
ter take her min' off'n her troubles. But dey didn' none un 'em do no
good. Chloe got ter slippin' down here in de ebenin' des lak she 'uz
comin' ter meet Jeff, en she'd set dere unner dat willer tree on de
udder side, en wait fer 'im, night atter night. Bimeby she got so bad
de w'ite folks sont her ober ter young Mis' Ma'g'ret's fer ter gib her
a change; but she runned erway de fus' night, en w'en dey looked fer
'er nex' mawnin' dey foun' her co'pse layin' in de branch yander, right
'cross fum whar we're settin' now.

"Eber sence den," said Julius in conclusion, "Chloe's ha'nt comes eve'y
ebenin' en sets down unner dat willer tree en waits fer Jeff, er e'se
walks up en down de road yander, lookin' en lookin', en' [sic] waitin'
en waitin', fer her sweethea't w'at ain' nebber, nebber come back ter
her no mo'."

There was silence when the old man had finished, and I am sure I saw a
tear in my wife's eye, and more than one in Mabel's.

"I think, Julius," said my wife after a moment, "that you may turn the
mare around and go by the long road."

The old man obeyed with alacrity, and I noticed no reluctance on the
mare's part.

"You are not afraid of Chloe's haunt, are you?" I asked jocularly.

My mood was not responded to, and neither of the ladies smiled.

"Oh no," said Annie, "but I've changed my mind. I prefer the other
route."

When we had reached the main road and had proceeded along it for a short
distance, we met a cart driven by a young negro, and on the cart were
a trunk and a valise. We recognized the man as Malcolm Murchison's
servant, and drew up a moment to speak to him.

"Who's going away, Marshall?" I inquired.

"Young Mistah Ma'colm gwine 'way on de boat ter Noo Yo'k dis ebenin',
suh, en I'm takin' his things down ter de wharf, suh."

This was news to me, and I heard it with regret. My wife looked sorry,
too, and I could see that Mabel was trying hard to hide her concern.

"He's comin' 'long behin', suh, en I 'spec's you'll meet 'im up de road
a piece. He's gwine ter walk down ez fur ez M