a went into the dining room.
A suspicious rustle as she turned the door knob caused her to frown.
Primmie was seated close to the wall on the opposite side of the room
industriously peeling apples. Her mistress regarded her intently, a
regard which caused its object to squirm in her chair.

"It's--it's a kind of nice night, ain't it, Miss Martha?" she observed.

Miss Martha did not answer. "Primmie Cash," she said, severely, "you've
been listen in' again. Don't deny it."

"Now--now Miss Martha, I didn't mean to, really, but--"

"Do you want to go back to the Mashpaug poorhouse again?"

"No'm. You know I don't, Miss Martha. I didn't mean to do it, but
I heard him talkin' and it was SO interestin'. That about the camel
stealin' his shirt--my soul! And--"

"If you listen again I WILL send you back; I mean it."

"I won't, ma'am. I won't. Now--"

"Be still. Where is our dictionary? It isn't in the closet with the
other books where it ought to be. Do you know where it is?"

"No'm.... Yes'm, come to think of it, I do. Lulie Hallet borrowed it the
other day. Her and Zach Bloomer was havin' a lot of talk about how to
spell somethin' and Lulie she got our dictionary so's to settle it--and
Zach. I'll fetch it back to-morrow mornin'.... But what do you want the
dictionary for, Miss Martha?"

Martha shook her head, with the air of one annoyed by a puzzle the
answer to which should be familiar.

"I'm goin' to find out what an archaeologist is," she declared. "I ought
to know, but I declare I don't."

"An arky-what? Oh, that's what that little Mr. Bangs said he was, didn't
he? You know what _I_ think he is, Miss Martha?"

"No, I don't. You go to bed, Primmie."

"_I_ think he's an undertaker."

"Undertaker! Good heavens and earth, what put that in your head?"

"Everything. Look at them clothes he wears, black tail-coat and white
shirt and stand-up collar and all. Just exactly same as Emulous Dodd
wears when he's runnin' a funeral. Yes, and more'n that--more'n that,
Miss Martha. Didn't you hear what he said just now about 'remains'?"

"WHAT?"

"Didn't you ask him what he went traipsin' off to that--that camel place
for? And didn't he say there was some interestin' remains there. Uh-hm!
that's what he said--'remains.' If he ain't an undertaker what--"

Martha burst out laughing. "Primmie," she said, "go to bed. And don't
forget to get that dictionary to-morrow mornin'."

The next day was Sunday and the weather sti