The young man wondered a little that a mother who seemed so honest and respectable should be so thoughtless, and was reaching for his hat, intending to disembarrass the girl of his presence; but she said: "Where are you going ?" "Well--nowhere in particular, but as I am only in the way here--" "Why, who said you were in the way?
Sit down--I'll move you when you are in the way." She was making the beds, now.

He sat down and watched her deft and diligent performance.
"What gave you that notion?
Do you reckon I need a whole room just to make up a bed or two in ?" "Well no, it wasn't that, exactly.

We are away up here in an empty house, and your mother being gone--" The girl interrupted him with an amused laugh, and said: "Nobody to protect me?
Bless you, I don't need it.

I'm not afraid.
I might be if I was alone, because I do hate ghosts, and I don't deny it.
Not that I believe in them, for I don't.

I'm only just afraid of them." "How can you be afraid of them if you don't believe in them ?" "Oh, I don't know the how of it--that's too many for me; I only know it's so.