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18 At which Nattie said as fiercely as fingers could,

"I have been after you nearly half an hour!" "Have you?" came coolly back from "X n." "Well, you are not alone, many are after me—my landlord among others—not to mention a washer-woman or two!" Then followed the figure "4," which means, "When shall I go ahead?" "Waxing jocose, are you?" Nattie murmured to herself, as she replied: "G. A.—hearse" "G. A.—what?"

"Hearse," repeated Nattie, in firm, clear characters.

To her surprise and displeasure "X n" laughed—the circumstance being conveyed to her understanding in the usual way, by the two letters "Ha!"

"What are you laughing at?" she asked.

"At your grave mistake!" was "X n's" answer, accompanied by another "Ha! To convert a horse into a hearse is really an idea that merits a smile!" As the consciousness of her blunder dawned upon her, Nattie would gladly have sank into oblivion. But as that was impossible, she took a fresh blank, and very meekly said,

"G. A.—horse!" With another laugh, "X n" complied, and Nattie