Ef it don't rain too hard, I reckon Seth'll be down." Mercy's sense of humor never failed her.

She laughed heartily, as she said,-- "Then Seth stays away, does he, on the nights when he would be sure of passengers ?" The conductor laughed too, as he replied,--- "Well, 'tisn't quite so bad's that.

Ye see this here road's only a piece of a road.

It's goin' up through to connect with the northern roads; but they 've come to a stand-still for want o' funds, an' more 'n half the time I don't carry nobody over this last ten miles.

Most o' the people from our town go the other way, on the river road.