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saw her put the inkhorn—‘ horn,’ says I, in my old- fashioned way—the inkstand, before her uncle, and touch his elbow as if to arouse him, and speak to him, and spread out the deed; when she had pointed to show him where to sign she dipped the pen and put it into his hand. To hold his hand she artfully stepped behind him, so that the agent could only see a little bit of his head and the hand she held; but he saw the old man’s hand trace hia name on the document, As soon as 'twas done she came out to the steward with the parchment in her hand, and the steward signed as witness by the light from the parlor window. Then he gave her the deed signed by the squire, and left; and next morning Netty told the neighbors that ber uncle was dead in his bed.”
“She must have undressed him and put him there.”
“She must. Oh, that girl had a nerve, I can tell ye! Well, to cut a long stury short, that’s how she got back the house and field that were, strictly speaking, gone from her; and by getting them, got her a husband. When the old squire waa dead, and his son came into the property, what Netty had done began to be whispered about, for she had told a friend or two. But Netty was a pretty young woman, and the squire’s son was a pretty young man at that time, and wider-minded than his father, having no objection to little holdings; and he never took any proceedings against her.”
There was now a lull in the discourse, and soon the van descended the hill leading into the long straggling village. When the houses were reached the passengers dropped off one by one, each at his or her own door. Arrived at the inn, the returned emigrant secured a bed, and, having eaten a light meal, sallied forth upon the scene he had known so well in his early