WELL,threeorfourmonthsrunalong,anditwaswellintothewinternow. Ihadbeentoschoolmostallthetimeandcouldspellandreadandwritejustalittle,andcouldsaythemultiplicationtableuptosixtimessevenisthirty-five,andIdon’treckonIcouldevergetanyfurtherthanthatifIwastoliveforever. Idon’ttakenostockinmathematics,anyway. AtfirstIhatedtheschool,butbyandbyIgotsoIcouldstandit. WheneverIgotuncommontiredIplayedhookey,andthehidingIgotnextdaydonemegoodandcheeredmeup. SothelongerIwenttoschooltheeasieritgottobe. Iwasgettingsortofusedtothewidow’sways,too,andtheywarn’tsoraspyonme. Livinginahouseandsleepinginabedpulledonmeprettytightmostly,butbeforethecoldweatherIusedtoslideoutandsleepinthewoodssometimes,andsothatwasaresttome. Ilikedtheoldwaysbest,butIwasgettingsoIlikedthenewones,too,alittlebit. ThewidowsaidIwascomingalongslowbutsure,anddoingverysatisfactory.Shesaidshewarn’tashamedofme. OnemorningIhappenedtoturnoverthesalt-cellaratbreakfast. IreachedforsomeofitasquickasIcouldtothrowovermyleftshoulderandkeepoffthebadluck,butMissWatsonwasinaheadofme,andcrossedmeoff. Shesays,“Takeyourhandsaway,Huckleberry;whatamessyouarealwaysmaking!” Thewidowputinagoodwordforme,butthatwarn’tgoingtokeepoffthebadluck,Iknowedthatwellenough. Istartedout,afterbreakfast,feelingworriedandshaky,andwonderingwhereitwasgoingtofallonme,andwhatitwasgoingtobe. Thereiswaystokeepoffsomekindsofbadluck,butthiswasn’toneofthemkind;soInevertriedtodoanything,butjustpokedalonglow-spiritedandonthewatch-out. Iwentdowntothefrontgardenandclumboverthestilewhereyougothroughthehighboardfence. Therewasaninchofnewsnowontheground,andIseensomebody’stracks. Theyhadcomeupfromthequarryandstoodaroundthestileawhile,andthenwentonaroundthegardenfence. Itwasfunnytheyhadn’tcomein,afterstandingaroundso.Icouldn’tmakeitout.Itwasverycurious,somehow. Iwasgoingtofollowaround,butIstoopeddowntolookatthetracksfirst. Ididn’tnoticeanythingatfirst,butnextIdid. Therewasacrossintheleftboot-heelmadewithbignails,tokeepoffthedevil. Iwasupinasecondandshinningdownthehill.Ilookedovermyshouldereverynowandthen,butIdidn’tseenobody.IwasatJudgeThatcher’sasquickasIcouldgetthere.Hesaid: “Why,myboy,youarealloutofbreath.Didyoucomeforyourinterest?” “No,sir,”Isays;“istheresomeforme?” “Oh,yes,ahalf-yearlyisinlastnight–overahundredandfiftydollars.Quiteafortuneforyou. Youhadbetterletmeinvestitalongwithyoursixthousand,becauseifyoutakeityou’llspendit.” “No,sir,”Isays,“Idon’twanttospendit.Idon’twantitatall–northesixthousand,nuther.Iwantyoutotakeit;Iwanttogiveittoyou–thesixthousandandall.” Helookedsurprised.Hecouldn’tseemtomakeitout.Hesays: “Why,whatcanyoumean,myboy?” Isays,“Don’tyouaskmenoquestionsaboutit,please.You’lltakeit–won’tyou?” “Well,I’mpuzzled.Issomethingthematter?” “Pleasetakeit,”saysI,“anddon’taskmenothing–thenIwon’thavetotellnolies.” Hestudiedawhile,andthenhesays: “Oho-o!IthinkIsee.YouwanttoSELLallyourpropertytome–notgiveit.That’sthecorrectidea.” Thenhewrotesomethingonapaperandreaditover,andsays: “There;youseeitsays‘foraconsideration.’ThatmeansIhaveboughtitofyouandpaidyouforit.Here’sadollarforyou.Nowyousignit.” MissWatson’snigger,Jim,hadahair-ballasbigasyourfist,whichhadbeentookoutofthefourthstomachofanox,andheusedtodomagicwithit. Hesaidtherewasaspiritinsideofit,anditknowedeverything. SoIwenttohimthatnightandtoldhimpapwashereagain,forIfoundhistracksinthesnow. WhatIwantedtoknowwas,whathewasgoingtodo,andwashegoingtostay? Jimgotouthishair-ballandsaidsomethingoverit,andthenhehelditupanddroppeditonthefloor. Itfellprettysolid,andonlyrolledaboutaninch. Jimtrieditagain,andthenanothertime,anditactedjustthesame. Jimgotdownonhisknees,andputhisearagainstitandlistened. Butitwarn’tnouse;hesaiditwouldn’ttalk. Hesaidsometimesitwouldn’ttalkwithoutmoney. ItoldhimIhadanoldslickcounterfeitquarterthatwarn’tnogoodbecausethebrassshowedthroughthesilveralittle,anditwouldn’tpassnohow,evenifthebrassdidn’tshow,becauseitwassoslickitfeltgreasy,andsothatwouldtelloniteverytime. (IreckonedIwouldn’tsaynothingaboutthedollarIgotfromthejudge.) Isaiditwasprettybadmoney,butmaybethehair-ballwouldtakeit,becausemaybeitwouldn’tknowthedifference. Jimsmeltitandbititandrubbedit,andsaidhewouldmanagesothehair-ballwouldthinkitwasgood. HesaidhewouldsplitopenarawIrishpotatoandstickthequarterinbetweenandkeepitthereallnight,andnextmorningyoucouldn’tseenobrass,anditwouldn’tfeelgreasynomore,andsoanybodyintownwouldtakeitinaminute,letaloneahair-ball. Well,Iknowedapotatowoulddothatbefore,butIhadforgotit. Jimputthequarterunderthehair-ball,andgotdownandlistenedagain. Thistimehesaidthehairballwasallright. HesaiditwouldtellmywholefortuneifIwanteditto.Isays,goon. SothehairballtalkedtoJim,andJimtoldittome.Hesays: “Yo’olefatherdoan’knowyitwhathe’sa-gwynetodo. Sometimeshespeche’llgo‘way,endenaginhespeche’llstay. Debes’wayistores’easyenletdeolemantakehisownway. Dey’stwoangelshoverin’roun’‘bouthim. Oneuv‘emiswhiteenshiny,ent’otheroneisblack. Dewhiteonegitshimtogorightalittlewhile,dendeblackonesailinenbustitallup. Abodycan’ttellyitwhichonegwynetofetchhimatdelas’.Butyouisallright. Yougwynetohaveconsidabletroubleinyo’life,enconsidablejoy. Sometimesyougwynetogithurt,ensometimesyougwynetogitsick;buteverytimeyou’sgwynetogitwellagin. Dey’stwogalsflyin’‘boutyouinyo’life. Oneuv‘em’slightent’otheroneisdark.Oneisrichent’otherispo’. You’sgwynetomarrydepo’onefustenderichonebyenby. Youwantstokeep‘wayfumdewaterasmuchasyoukin,endon’trunnoresk,‘kaseit’sdownindebillsdatyou’sgwynetogithung.” WhenIlitmycandleandwentuptomyroomthatnighttheresatpap–hisownself! 
