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"Where are you goin' to sleep to-night?" asked his quaint-visaged host

"That is a proble myself," answered Haldane, dubiously "I had about concluded that, rather than walk back through the rain to the wretched place at which I slept last night, I would ask for the privilege of sleeping in your wood-shed It wouldn't be much worse than the other place, or any place in which I could find lodging if I were known Since I did not steal your silver I suppose you can trust me with your wood"

"Yet they say your folks is rich"

"Yes, I can go to as elegant a house as there is in this city"

"Why in thunder don't you go there, then?"

"Because I would rather be in your wood-shed and other places like it for the present"

"I can't understand that"

"Perhaps not, but there are worse things than sleeping hard and cold There are people who sufferback aentlely a moment, and then said sententiously: "Well, you hed outright "Mr Growther," said he, "you do me honor I foresee you will trust ht"

"No I won't nuther You ht not take my wood, but you would take cold, and then I'd have to nuss you and pay doctor's bills, and bother with you a week or ht even have your funeral on et me into all this trouble, fur I'm one that hates trouble, unless it's fur myself; and, if I do say it, it's askin' a little too er, to 'tend to your funeral I don't like funerals--never did--and I won't have nothin' to do with yours There's a rooht upstairs here, over the kitchen, where you can sleep without wakin' up the hull neighborhood a coughin' before mornin' Now don't say nothin' ht s without worryin' about it, I'd do it quick enough; but I've got a ht up and ht, like a nawin' and a gnawin' at hter for the sate of a little peace and comfort A-a-h!"