You may have noticed that I have what might be called a
classic pallor, and a general resemblance to a corpse."
Nancy shivered a little and Carol frowned, but Nevius continued
imperturbably. "The undertaker down-town is a lunger, and a nervous
wreck to boot. But he is a good undertaker. He works hard. Maybe he
is practising up so he can do a really artistic job on himself when the
time comes. Anyhow, Reddy died. They always come after them when the
rest of us are in at dinner. It interferes with the appetite to see
the long basket going out. So when the rest were eating, old Bennett
comes driving up after Reddy. It was just about dark, that dusky,
spooky time when the shadows come down from the mountains and cover up
the sunny slopes you preachers rave about. So up comes Bennett, and he
got into the wrong cottage. First thing I knew, some one softly pushed
open the door, and in walked Bennett at the front end of the long
basket, the assistant trailing him in the rear. I felt kind of weak,
so I just laid there until Bennett got beside me. Then I slowly rose
up and put out one cold clammy hand and touched his. Bennett choked
and the assistant yelled, and they dropped the basket and fled. I rang
the bell and told the nurse to make that crazy undertaker come and get
the right corpse that was patiently waiting for him, and she called him
on the telephone.
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