"Godforbid!" Iinvoluntarilyejaculated, forsomehowIwasnotlookingforthatformofquestion, , andsay, "IsimplymeantIhadnothadthehonor——anditwasashame, too— …"
Amostghastlyexpressionbegantodevelopamongthedecayedfeaturesandshriveledintegumentsofmyguest'sface, andIwasbeginningtogrowuneasyanddistressed, whenhetoldmehewasonlyworkingupadeep, smile, withawinkinit, tosuggestthataboutthetimeheacquiredhispresentgarmentaghostinaneighboringcemeterymissedone.
Thisreassuredme, butIbeggedhimtoconfinehimselftospeechthenceforth, , evendecorouslyplayful, butIdidnotthinksmilingwasaskeleton'sbesthold.
"Yes, friend," saidthepoorskeleton, "——andthatisnolightmatterthisrainyweather—.
"Now, youwillhardlybelieveit, butitistrue, nevertheless, thatthereisn'tasinglecoffiningoodrepairamongallmyacquaintance—-wagon, butIamtalkingaboutyourhigh-toned, silver-mountedburial-case, yourmonumentalsort, thattravelunderblackplumesattheheadofaprocessionandhavechoiceofcemeterylots—ImeanfolksliketheJarvises, andtheBledsoesandtheBurlings, ."
Themostsubstantialpeopleinourset, —, , , andtheydoapoorchapaworldofgoodafterheisdead, 'tcomplain, butconfidentiallyIdothinkitwasalittleshabbyinmydescendantstogivemenothingbutthisoldslabofagravestone—andallthemorethatthereisn':
'GONETOHISJUSTREWARD'
"Onit, andIwasproudwhenIfirstsawit, butbyandbyInoticedthatwheneveranoldfriendofminecamealonghewouldhookhischinontherailingandpullalongfaceandreadalongdowntillhecametothat, andthenhewouldchuckletohimselfandwalkoff, ."
"YondergoeshalfadozenoftheJarvisesnow, , Higgins, good-by, oldfriend!That'sMeredithHiggins—diedin44—belongstooursetinthecemetery—fineoldfamily—great-grandmotherwasanInjun—Iamonthemostfamiliartermswithhimhedidn'thearmewasthereasonhedidn', too, , sway-backed, andgenerallydistortedoldskeletonyoueversaw, , andhealwaysstartsitoffwithacheeryscreechlikerakinganailacrossawindow-pane."
