The simulation of sleep had been indulged in simply to escape the necessity of talking.
"It was old Tilden," said Mr.Buffum, and then went off into another fit of coughing and laughing that nearly strangled him.
"I wonder if it was!" seemed to come simultaneously from the lips of the mother and her daughters.
"Did you ever see him again ?" inquired Mr.Buffum.
"I seen 'im oncet, in the spring, I s'pose," said Jim, "what there was left of 'im.

There wasn't much left but an old shirt and some bones, an' I guess he wa'n't no great shakes of an angel.

I buried 'im where I found 'im, and said nothin' to nobody." "That's right," wheezed Mr.Buffum.

"It's just as well." "The truth is," said Mrs.Buffum, "that folks made a great fuss about his gettin' away from here and never bein' found.

I thought 'twas a good riddance myself, but people seem to think that these crazy critturs are just as much consequence as any body, when they don't know a thing.