t in the hired man's room over the shed," said my uncle.

He brought the lantern--a little tower of perforated tin--and put a
lighted candle inside of it. Then he beckoned to the stranger, who
followed him out of the front door with the plate of food in her hands.

"Well I declare! It's a long time since she went up this road--ayes!"
said Aunt Deel, yawning as she resumed her chair.

"Who is ol' Kate?" I asked.

"Oh, just a poor ol' crazy woman--wanders all 'round--ayes!"

"What made her crazy?"

"Oh, I guess somebody misused and deceived her when she was young--ayes!
It's an awful wicked thing to do. Come, Bart--go right up to bed now.
It's high time--ayes!"

"I want to wait 'til Uncle Peabody comes back," said I.

"Why?"

"I--I'm afraid she'll do somethin' to him."

"Nonsense! Ol' Kate is just as harmless as a kitten. You take your
candle and go right up to bed--this minute--ayes!"

I went up-stairs with the candle and undressed very slowly and
thoughtfully while I listened for the footsteps of my uncle. I did not
get into bed until I heard him come in and blow out his lantern and
start up the stairway. As he undressed he told me how for many years the
strange woman had been roving in the roads "up hill and down dale,
thousands an' thousands o' miles," and never reaching the end of her
journey.

In a moment we heard a low wail above the sound of the breeze that shook
the leaves of the old "popple" tree above our roof.

"What's that?" I whispered.

"I guess it's ol' Kate ravin'," said Uncle Peabody.

It touched my heart and I lay listening for a time but heard only the
loud whisper of the popple leaves.

CHAPTER VI

THE GREAT STRANGER

Some strangers came along the road those days--hunters, peddlers and the
like--and their coming filled me with a joy which mostly went away with
them, I regret to say. None of these, however, appealed to my
imagination as did old Kate. But there was one stranger greater than
she--greater, indeed, than any other who came into Rattleroad. He came
rarely and would not be long detained. How curiously we looked at him,
knowing his fame and power! This great stranger was Money.

I shall never forget the day that my uncle showed me a dollar bill and a
little shiny, gold coin and three pieces of silver, nor can I forget how
carefully he watched them while they lay in my hands and presently put
them back into his wallet. That was long before the time of which I am