Chapter 31 - Page 2

shall take Hope away for a bit of rest to Saratoga
probably - and from there I shall take her to Hillsborough myself
for a day or two.

'Thought she was goin' home with me,' said Uncle Eb.

'O dear no!' said Mrs Fuller, 'she cannot go now. The girl is ill and
it's such a long journey.'

The postman came then with a letter for Uncle Eb.

It was from David Brower. He would have to be gone a week or so
buying cattle and thought Uncle Eb had better come home as soon
as convenient.

'They're lonesome,' he said, thoughtfully, after going over the
letter again. "Tain't no wonder - they're gittin' old.'

Uncle Eb was older than either of them but he had not thought of
that.

'Le's see; 's about eight o clock,' said he, presently. 'I've got t'go
an' ten' to some business o' my own. I'll be back here sometime if day
Mis Fuller an' I'll hev if see thet girl. Ye musn't never try if keep
me 'way from her. She's sot on my knee too many year fer that -
altogether too many.

We arranged to meet there at four. Then a servant brought us our
hats. I heard Hope calling as we passed the stairway:

'Won't you come up a minute, Uncle Eb? I want to see you very
much.'

Then Uncle Eb hurried upstairs and I came away.

I read the advertisements of board and lodging - a perplexing task
for one so ignorant of the town. After many calls I found a place to
my liking on Monkey Hill, near Printing House Square. Monkey
Hill was the east end of William Street, and not in the least
fashionable. There were some neat and cleanly looking houses on
it of wood, and brick, and brown stone inhabited by small
tradesmen; a few shops, a big stable and the chalet sitting on a
broad, flat roof that covered a portion of the stableyard. The yard
itself was the summit of Monkey Hill. It lay between two brick
buildings and up the hill, from the walk, one looked into the
gloomy cavern of the stable and under the low roof, on one side7
there were dump carts and old coaches in varying stages of
infirmity. There was an old iron shop, that stood flush with the
sidewalk, flanking the stableyard. A lantern and a mammoth key
were suspended above the door and hanging upon the side of the
shop was a wooden stair ascending to the chalet The latter had a
sheathing of weather-worn clapboards. It stood on the rear end of
the brick building, communicating with the front rooms above the
shop. A little stair of five steps ascended from the landing to its red
door that overlooked an ample yard of roofing, adorned with
potted plants. The main room of the chalet where we ate our meals
and sat and talked, of an evening, had the look of a ship's cabin.
There were stationary seats along the wall covered