His friend drew a breath of relief.
"Oh!" he exclaimed.

"Well, I don't mind your meetin' yourself.

I thought first you'd gone off your head, blessed if I didn't.
You're a queer critter, Jed.

Get those funny notions from readin' so many books, I guess likely.

Meetin' yourself! What an idea that is! I suppose you mean that, bein' alone in that house where you've lived since you was born, you naturally get to thinkin' about what used to be." Jed stared wistfully at the back of a chair.
"Um-hm," he murmured, "and what might have been--and--and ain't." The captain nodded.