"Why, he looks healthy enough."
"Yes, but he's mighty deceivin'. Most of his men folks died when they was about his age. Suthin' the matter with the fam'ly that causes 'em to drop off along about then."
"Singular, isn't it?"
"Mighty curious."
"Couldn't the doctors do anything for them. Not that I care, you understand, but it's interesting as a—"
"No, somehow the doctors was always called in too late. Ma'm, Jim tells me he's goin' home."
"Did he tell you just now when you must have met him in the road?"
"No. Jest now when I met him he didn't say nothin', but he looked at me and his eye was a hummin' of a tune."
"And when he comes back," she said, half musingly, "he may tell you what tune he was humming."
"Hah!"