man, leaning upon two canes. He wanted to see who had come. I told my
errand. He asked me into the kitchen. As I entered, I looked slyly
about, to see what I could see. But there was only a short old woman.
She was running candles. She looked straight in my face. The old man
stooped down and shouted in her ear,--

"He's come arter Peggy! where is she?"

"Denno," said she, toddling along to the window, and looking up and down
the road. "Denno. Mile off, mebbe. Master critter to be on the go!"

"There she is!" cried Mr. Barrows, from a back-window,--"in the parster,
slidin' down-hill on her jumper. Guess you'll have to go look her, young
man; the old woman's poorly, an' so be I."

But the old woman told me to sit up to the fire and warm my feet; said
she would hang out a cloth, and Peggy would be in directly. I would have
gone very willingly; for, after expecting to be introduced to Miss
Margaret Holden, being sent out after Peggy was just nothing.

'Twas but a little while before we heard the jumper rattling along, and
then a stamping in the porch. Then we heard her hand upon the latch.

"She's a little young thing," said the old man, almost in a whisper;
"but she's knowin'.--Peggy," he continued, as she entered, "you'm sent
for."

That was the first time I ever saw Margaret. She had on some little
child's hood, and an old josey-coat, which covered her all over. The
hood was red, and ruffled about the border, which made her face look