d to live sommers, and didn't have any home of her own.

We didn't have to say hardly a word--Doc Lyon just went on and told
about settin' Bender's house on fire to purify the abomination of the
dwelling, he said, where Nancy Allen had lived.

We heard enough and slid off the barl. Then Jasper Rutledge came out and
said: "Can you boys remember what he said? For that's a free confession
he made, and you must testify, and I will. There'll be a hangin' in this
jail, before the snow flies."

I was so scared and shook up that I was afraid to sleep alone. So as we
went by, I asked ma if I could stay all night with Mitch. She said
"yes." So when we got to Mitch's home, Mr. Miller was readin' to Mrs.
Miller about Linkern and the girls were playing like mad. We forgot
everything, until finally Mitch motioned to me and we went out-doors.
Mitch said: "I was goin' to have a funeral over Fanny, but I can't stand
it, Skeet. Let's just you and I bury her, here by the barn." So we dug a
grave and buried Fanny, and Mitch cried. And then we went into the house
and went to bed.

CHAPTER VII

The next day was Sunday, and the wonderfulest day you ever saw. We had
an early breakfast, for Mr. Miller was drivin' into the country that day
to preach, and Mrs. Miller was goin' with him and the girls had to get
the dinner. So nobody had to go to Sunday School, and I could keep out
of it by not goin' home in time. A thought came to me and I said to
Mitch, "You never saw my grandpa's farm--we can walk out there before
noon and have dinner, and maybe get a lift on the way. And maybe grandpa
or some one will drive us in in the morning in time for school." Mitch
was crazy to go and see the farm; so we struck out, down through the
town, under the trestle bridge, up the hill, past Bucky Gum's big brick
house, past the fair grounds and along the straight road between the
wheat fields. It was wonderful, and we sang and threw clods at birds and
talked over plans about goin' to see Tom Sawyer. For Mitch said: "We'll
try this Old Salem place, and if that doesn't pan out, then we'll go to
Hannibal. Tom'll tell us; and if he can't, we'll see his crowd anyway
and have a good time. And besides, I'm lookin' forward now to somethin'.
I'm goin' to lose Zueline--I feel it all through. And if I do, it's time
to get away from here and forget."

"What do you mean by lose her?" says I. "You'll always be in the same
town and in the same school, and you'll al