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Well, the next mornin' Josiah come upstairs where I wuz makin' up the spare bed, I had had it open airin' it, and sez he, comin' into the room excited and agitated:

"Samantha, Delight has burnt up the world!"

I had heard her cryin' down below, but knew she wuz with him, so didn't worry about her, and the next thing I knew, ontirely onexpected, he told me what had took place. The Babe had burnt up the world. It wuz thrillin' and agitatin' news, very. But I didn't git excited and skairt as some wimmen would, I only sez coolly:

"When did she burn it up, Josiah?"

"Since you have been up here."

Sez I calmly, wantin' to come to the bottom of the matter. "Did you see her, Josiah Allen? Did you see Delight burn up the world?"

"Yes, I see her. I ketched her at it. How should I know," sez he, in a surly tone, "that she had burnt it up, if I hadn't seen her do it?"

"Oh," sez I, "I didn't know but you missed the world, and mistrusted she had burnt it up."

"No, I see her at it, I see her burn it up."

Sez I calmly, bein' determined to find out the truth, "How come she to burn up the world?"

"She did it to be mean and ort to be spanked for it."

Sez I firmly, "I don't believe she did it to be mean. I believe if she did it she did by axident."