But," I says, "it seems to
me experience and ingenuity could keep a hotel."
With that I put up the window softly and climbed out and dropped to
the ground. I went round the house looking for ingenious couples, and
then across the yard, and there they sat on the same fence, with
their feet hooked as previous, and they appeared to feel calm and
candid.
"As to hotel keeping," I says, climbing on the fence, "it's a good
life,--" and there I stopped.
I looked over at the old churchyard on the Green. It was dark and
still over there. The rows of flat tombstones were grey, like planted
ghosts. "Hic Jacet" means "here lies," as I'm told. Those folks that
once got their "Hic jacets" over them wouldn't ever get up to argue
the statement; but those that left good memories behind, I guessed
they were glad of it. As for the living, if they were elderly, they'd
best go to bed. With that I got down from the fence.
"Madge," I says, "do you know why I'm backing you?"
"Yes," she says, "I know."
How the nation did she know?
"Happen Billy Corliss may want to run away still" I says, "and maybe
you'll be asking, 'Where to?' and maybe he'll remark, 'Pemberton's.
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