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them 〃begone；〃 and 〃leave him with his dead。〃 Even his own friends
failed to make him respond to their sympathy； and were fain to content
themselves with his cold intimation that both the wishes of his dead wife
and his own instincts were against any display； or the reception of any
favor from the camp that might tend to keep up the divisions they had
innocently created。 The refusal of Daddy to accept any service offered
was so unlike him as to have but one dreadful meaning！ The sudden
shock had turned his brain！ Yet so impressed were they with his
resolution that they permitted him to perform the last sad offices himself；
and only a select few of his nearer neighbors assisted him in carrying the
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plain deal coffin from his lonely cabin in the woods to the still lonelier
cemetery on the hill…top。
When the shallow grave was filled； he dismissed even these curtly；
shut himself up in his cabin； and for days remained unseen。 It was
evident that he was no longer in his right mind。
His harmless aberration was accepted and treated with a degree of
intelligent delicacy hardly to be believed of so rough a community。 During
his wife's sudden and severe illness； the safe containing the funds intrusted
to his care by the various benevolent associations was broken into and
robbed； and although the act was clearly attributable to his carelessness
and preoccupation； all allusion to the fact was withheld from him in his
severe affliction。 When he appeared again before the camp； and the
circumstances were considerately explained to him； with the remark that
〃the boys had made it all right；〃 the vacant； hopeless； unintelligent eye that
he turned upon the speaker showed too plainly that he had forgotten all
about it。 〃Don't trouble the old man；〃 said Whisky Dick； with a burst of
honest poetry。 〃Don't ye see his memory's dead； and lying there in the
coffin with Mammy？〃 Perhaps the speaker was nearer right than he
imagined。
Failing in religious consolation； they took various means of diverting
his mind with worldly amusements； and one was a visit to a traveling
variety troupe； then performing in the town。 The result of the visit was
briefly told by Whisky Dick。 〃Well； sir； we went in； and I sot the old
man down in a front seat； and kinder propped him up with some other of
the fellers round him； and there he sot as silent and awful ez the grave。
And then that fancy dancer； Miss Grace Somerset； comes in； and dern my
skin； ef the old man didn't get to trembling and fidgeting all over； as she
cut them pidgin wings。 I tell ye what； boys； men is men； way down to
their boots；whether they're crazy or not！ Well； he took on so； that I'm
blamed if at last that gal HERSELF didn't notice him！ and she ups；
suddenly； and blows him a kissso！ with her fingers！〃
Whether this narration were exaggerated or not； it is certain that the
old man Downey every succeeding night of the performance was a
spectator。 That he may have aspired to more than that was suggested a
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day or two later in the following incident： A number of the boys were
sitting around the stove in the Magnolia saloon； listening to the onset of a
winter storm against the windows； when Whisky Dick； tremulous； excited；
and bristling with rain…drops and information； broke in upon them。
〃Well； boys； I've got just the biggest thing out。 Ef I hadn't seed it
myself； I wouldn't hev believed it！〃
〃It ain't thet ghost ag'in？〃 growled Robinson； from the depths of his
arm…chair； 〃thet ghost's about played。〃
〃Wot ghost？〃 asked a new…comer。
〃Why； ole Mammy's ghost； that every feller about yer sees when he's
half full and out late o' nights。〃
〃Where？〃
〃Where？ Why； where should a ghost be？ Meanderin' round her
grave on the hill； yander； in course。〃
〃It's suthin bigger nor thet； pard；〃 said Dick confidently； 〃no ghost kin
rake down the pot ag'in the keerds I've got here。 This ain't no bluff！〃
〃Well； go on！〃 said a dozen excited voices。
Dick paused a moment； diffidently； with the hesitation of an artistic
raconteur。
〃Well；〃 he said； with affected deliberation； 〃let's see！ It's nigh onto
an hour ago ez I was down thar at the variety show。 When the curtain
was down betwixt the ax； I looks round fer Daddy。 No Daddy thar！ I
goes out and asks some o' the boys。 'Daddy WAS there a minnit ago；'
they say； 'must hev gone home。' Bein' kinder responsible for the old man；
I hangs around； and goes out in the hall and sees a passage leadin' behind
the scenes。 Now the queer thing about this； boys； ez that suthin in my
bones tells me the old man is THAR。 I pushes in； and； sure as a gun； I
hears his voice。 Kinder pathetic； kinder pleadin'； kinder〃
〃Love…makin'！〃 broke in the impatient Robinson。
〃You've hit it； pard；you've rung the bell every time！ But she says；
'wants thet money down； or I'll' and here I couldn't get to hear the rest。
And then he kinder coaxes； and she says； sorter sassy； but listenin' all the
time；woman like； ye know； Eve and the sarpint！and she says； 'I；ll see
to…morrow。' And he says； 'You won't blow on me？' and I gets excited and
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peeps in； and may I be teetotally durned ef I didn't see〃
〃What？〃 yelled the crowd。
〃Why； DADDY ON HIS KNEES TO THAT THERE FANCY
DANCER； Grace Somerset！ Now； if Mammy's ghost is meanderin'
round； why； et's about time she left the cemetery and put in an appearance
in Jackson's Hall。 Thet's all！〃
〃Look yar； boys；〃 said Robinson； rising； 〃I don't know ez it's the
square thing to spile Daddy's fun。 I don't object to it； pro