And so things went far a month and better. Ever'thing had quieted
down, and Ezry and a lot o' hands, and me and Steve amongst 'em, was
a-workin' on the frame-work of another mill. It was purty weather, and
we was all in good sperits, and it 'peared like the whole neighberhood
was interested--and they _-was_, too--women-folks and ever'body. And
that day Ezry's woman and amongst 'em was a-gittin' up a big dinner to
fetch down to us from the house; and along about noon a spruce-lookin'
young feller, with a pale face and a black beard, like, come a-ridin'
by and hitched his hoss, and comin' into the crowd, said "Howdy,"
pleasant like, and we all stopped work as he went on to say 'at he was
on the track of a feller o' the name o' 'Williams,' and wanted to know
ef we could give him any infermation 'bout sich a man. Told him
maybe,--'at a feller bearin' that name desappeared kind o' myster'ous
from our neighberhood 'bout five weeks afore that. "My God!" says he,
a-turnin' paler'n ever, "am I too late? Where did he go, and was his
sister and her baby with him?" Jist then I ketched sight o' the
women-folks a-comin' with the baskets, and Annie with 'em, with a jug
o' worter in her hand; so I spoke up quick to the stranger, and says
I, "I guess 'his sister and baby' wasn't along," says I, "but his
_wife_ and _baby's_ some'eres here in the neighberhood yit.
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