They wondered what Aleck would say when he got back to the
farm.
"We have got to square ourselves," said Tom.
"How are you going to do it?"
"Oh, we'll do it somehow."
They took the short cut, but so did Aleck, and consequently all three
soon met.
"Yo' played dat joke yo' can't go fo' to deny it!" cried the colored
man.
"We are not going to deny it, Aleck," said Tom. "But it was no joke.
We did it for your good."
"Huh!"
"We certainly did," put in Sam. "Why, Aleck, we can't bear to think of
your getting married and leaving us."
"Huh!"
"We want you to stay with us," said Tom. "Besides, that widow has a
lot of children and is after your money."
"She ain't got but two chillen. She had moah, but she dun told me all
but two was in de seminary."
"The seminary?" queried Tom. Then a light broke in on him. "You mean
the cemetery."
"Persackly--de place da puts de dead folks."
"Well, they are in the cemetery right enough--but they are a long
way from being dead."
"Wot yo' mean, Tom?"
"We saw her send five of them away this evening--she told 'em to go
to the cemetery and stay there awhile."
"Wot! Yo' is fooling dis chile!"
"It is absolutely true," said Sam.
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