Mr。Atkinssmiledabland，congressionalsmile。Heapproachedthegroupbythefenceandextendedhishand。
　　“Ah，Asaph！”hesaid；“itisyouthen？Ithoughtso。AndBailey，too。Itiscertainlydelightfultoseeyoubothagain。Yes，mydaughteriswell，Ithankyou。She，likeherfather，isgladtobebackintheoldhomenestaftertheroundofhotellifeandgayetywhichwehave——er——recentlyundergone。Yes。“
　　“Mr。Atkins，“saidBailey，glancingnervouslyatCaptainCy，whohadstoppedwhistlingandwasregardingtheAtkinshatandwhiskerswithaninterestedair，“Iwanttomakeyouacquaintedwithyournewneighbor。Youusedtoknowhimwhenyouwasaboy，but——but——
　　er——Mr。Atkins，thisisCaptainCyrusWhittaker。Cy，thisisCongressmanAtkins。You'veheardusspeakofhim。“
　　Thegreatmanstarted。
　　“Isitpossible！”heexclaimed。“IsitpossiblethatthisisreallymyoldplaymateCyrusWhittaker？”
　　“Yup，“repliedthecaptaincalmly。“Howareyou，Heman？Fatter'nyouusedtobe，ain'tyou？Washin'tonmustagreewithyou。“
　　BaileyandAsaphwerescandalized。Mr。Atkinshimselfseemedatrifletakenaback。CommentsonhispersonalappearancewerenotusualinBayport。Butheralliedbravely。
　　“Well，well！”hecried。“Cyrus，Iamdelightedtowelcomeyoubackamongus。Ishouldscarcelyhaveknownyou。Youareolder——yes，mucholder。“
　　“Well，fortyyearmoreorless，addedtowhatyoustartedwith，isapttomakeafellersomeolder。Don'tneedanyNormalSchoolgraduatetodothatsumforus。I'mwithinsevenoreightyearofbein'asoldasyouare，Heman，andthat'stooantiquetobesoldforveal。“
　　Mr。Atkinschangedthesubject。
　　“Ihadheardofyourreturn，Cyrus，“hesaid。“Itgavememuchpleasuretolearnthatyouwererebuildingand——er——renovatingthe——er——theancestral——er——“
　　“Theoldhomenest？Yup，I'mputtin'backafewfeathers。Oldbirdsliketoroostcomf'table。You'vegotafairlyroomycoopyourself。“
　　“Hum！Isn'tit——er——Ishouldsupposeyouwouldfinditratherexpensive。Canyou——doyou——“
　　“Yes，Icanaffordit，thankyou。Maybethere'llbeenoughleftinthestockin'tobuyafewknickknacksfortheyard。Youcan'ttell。“
　　ThecaptainglancedattheirondogsguardingtheAtkinsgate。Histonewasrathersharp。
　　“Yes，yes，certainly；certainly；ofcourse。Itgivesmemuchpleasuretohaveyouasaneighbor。Ihavealwaysfeltafondnessfortheoldplace，evenwhenyouallowedit——evenwhenitwasmost——
　　er——rundown，ifyou'llexcusetheterm。Ialwaysfeltalikingforitand——“
　　“Yes，“wasthesignificantinterruption。“Ijudgedyoumusthave，fromwhatIheard。“
　　Thiswassteeringdangerouslyclosetotheselectmenandthecontemplated“salefortaxes。“Thetownclerkbrokeinnervously。
　　“Mr。Atkins，“hesaid，“there'sbeenconsider'bletalkintownaboutwho'stobeteacherdownstairsthiscomin'year。We'vesortofchaweditoveramongus，butnaturallywewantedyouropinion。
　　Whatdoyouthink？I'mkindofleanin'towardtheDaweswoman，myself。“
　　TheCongressmanclearedhisthroat。
　　“Farbeitfromme，“hesaid，“tospeakexceptasamerememberofourlittlecommunity，anordinarymember，but，ASsuchamember，withthewelfareofmybirthplaceverynearanddeartome，I
　　confessthatIaminclinedtofavoramodernteacher，oneeducatedandtrainedintheinstitutionprovidedforthepurposebyourgreatcommonwealth。TheDawes——er——personisundoubtedlyworthyandcapableinherway，but——well——er——weknowthatWellmouthisnotBayport。“
　　Thereferenceto“ourgreatcommonwealth“hadbeengiveninthevoiceandthemannerwonttothrillusatourFourth-of-JulycelebrationsandOctober“rallies。“Twoofhishearers，atleast，werevisiblyimpressed。Asaphlookedsomewhatcrestfallen，buthesurrenderedgracefullytosuperiorwisdom。
　　“That'sso，“hesaid。“That'sso，ain'tit，Cy？Ihadn'tthoughtofthat。“
　　“What'sso？”askedthecaptain。
　　“Why——why，thatWellmouthain'tBayport。“
　　“Nodoubtofit。They'retwentymilesapart。“
　　“Yes。Well，I'mgladtohearyouputitsoconclusive，Mr。Atkins。
　　IcanseenowthatPhoebewouldn'tdo。Hum！Yes。“
　　Mr。Atkinsbuttonedthefrockcoatandturnedtogo。
　　“Goodday，gentlemen，“hesaid。“Cyrus，permitmeoncemoretowelcomeyouheartilytoourvillage。We——mydaughterandmyself——
　　willprobablyremainathomeuntilthefall。Itrustyouwillbeafrequentcaller。Runinonusatanytime。Praydonotstanduponceremony。“
　　“No，“saidCaptainCyshortly，“Iwon't。“
　　“That'sright。That'sright。Goodmorning。“
　　Hewalkedbrisklydownthehill。Thetriogazedafterhim。
　　“Well，“sighedMr。Tidditt。“That'ssettled。Andit'sacomforttoknow'tissettled。StillIdidkindofwantPhoebeDawes；butofcourseHemanknowsbest。“
　　“Courseheknowsbest！”snappedBailey。“Ain'thethebiggestguninthiscounty，prettynigh？I'dliketoknowwhoisifheain't。
　　Thecommittee'llcalltheNormalSchoolgirlnow，andagoodthing，too。“
　　CaptainCywasstillgazingatthedignifiedformofthe“biggestguninthecounty。“
　　“Let'ssee，“heasked。“Who'sontheschoolcommittee？EbenSalters，ofcourse，and——“
　　“Yes。Eben'schairmanandhe'llvotePhoebe，anyhow；he'sthatpig-headedthatnobody——notevenaUnitedStatesRepresentative——
　　couldchangehim。ButDariusEllis'llbeforHeman'swayandso'llLemuelMyrick。
　　“LemuelMyrick？LemMyrick，thepainter？”
　　“Sartin。Thereain'tbutoneMyrickintown。“
　　“Hum！”murmuredthecaptainandwassilentforsomeminutes。
　　TheschoolcommitteemetonthefollowingWednesdayevening。OnThursdaymorningastartlingrumorspreadthroughoutBayport。
　　PhoebeDaweshadbeencalled，byavoteoftwotoone，toteachthedownstairsschool。Asaph，aghast，rushedoutofSimmons'sstoreanduptothehilltotheCyWhittakerplace。HefoundCaptainCyinthefrontyard。Mr。Myrick，schoolcommitteemanandhousepainter，waswithhim。
　　“Hello，Ase！”hailedthecaptain。“What'sthematter？Hasn'tthetidecomeinthismornin'？”
　　Asaph，somewhatembarrassedbythepresenceofMr。Myrick，hesitatedoverhisnews。Lemuelcametohisrescue。
　　“AsehasjustheardthatwecalledPhoebe，“hesaid。“Whatofit？
　　Ivotedforher，andIain'tashamedofit。“
　　“But——butMr。Atkins，he——“
　　“Well，Hemanain'tonthecommittee，ishe？IvotethewayIthinkright，andnooneinthistowncanchangeme。Anyway，“headded，“I'mgoingtoresignnextspring。Yes，Cap'nWhittaker，Ithinkthreecoatsofwhite'lldoonthesideshere。“
　　“Lem'sgoin'todomypaintin'jobs，“explainedCaptainCy。“Hispricewasalittlehigherthansomeoftheotherfellers，butI
　　likehiswork。“
　　Mr。Tiddittpondereddeeplyuntildinnertime。ThenhecorneredthecaptainbehindtheBangsbarnandspokewithconviction。
　　“Whit，“hesaid，“you'retheoneresponsibleforthecommittee'shirin'PhoebeDawes。YouofferedLemthepaintin'jobifhe'dvoteforher。Whatdidyoudoitfor？Youdon'tknowher，doyou？”
　　“Neverseteyesonherinmylife。“
　　“Then——then——YouheardHemansayhewantedtheotherone。Whatmadeyoudoit？”
　　CaptainCygrinned。
　　“Ase，“hesaid，“I'vealwaysbeenagreathandfortryin'
　　experiments。Hadoneofmycooksaboardputraisinsintheflapjacksonce，justtoseewhattheytastedlike。IjudgedHemanhadhadhisownwayinthistownforthirtyoddyear。Ikindofwantedtoseewhatwouldhappenifhedidn'thaveit。“
　　CHAPTERIV
　　BAILEYBANGS'SEXPERIMENT
　　LemuelMyrick'spaintingjobshavethequalitysoprizedbyourvillagesmallboysinthespeciesofcandycalled“jawbreakers，“
　　namely，thatof“lastinglong。“ButevenLemmustfinishsometimeorotherand，lateinJuly，theCyWhittakerplacewasreadyforoccupancy。Thepictureswereintheirplacesonthewalls，theold-fashionedfurniturefilledtherooms，therewasevenapileofoldmagazines，backnumbersofGodey'sLady'sBook，ontheshelfinthesittingroomcloset。
　　Then，whenCaptainCyhadnotifiedMrs。Bangsthattheperfectboardinghousewouldshelterhimnolongerthanthecomingweek，anewproblemarose。
　　“Whit，“saidAsaphearnestly，“you'vesartinmadetheplaceriseupoutofitstomb；youhaveso。It'samiracle，prettynigh，andI
　　cal'lateitmusthavecostaheap，butyou'vedoneit——allbuttheoldfolksthemselves。Youcan'traisethemup，Cy；moneywon'tdothat。Andyoucan'tliveinthisgreathouseallalone。Who'sgoin'tocookforyou，andsweepanddust，andswabdecks，andonethinga'nother？You'llhavetohaveahousekeeper，asItoldyouaspellago。Haveyoudoneanythinkin'aboutthat？”
　　Andthecaptain，takinghispipefromhislips，staredblanklyathisfriend，andanswered：
　　“Bythebigdipper，Ase，Iain't！Irememberwedidmentionit，butI'vebeensobusygettin'thiscraftoffthewaysthatIforgotallaboutit。“
　　ThediscussionwhichfollowedMr。Tidditt'sreminderwaslongandserious。AsaphandBaileyBangsrackedtheirbrainsandofferednumeroussuggestions，butthemajorityofthesewerenotfavorablyreceived。
　　“There'sMatildyTripp，“saidBailey。“She'dlikethejob，I'msartin。She'sawidow，too，andshe'shadexperiencekeepin'housealongofTobias，himthatwasherhusband。But，ifyoudohireher，don'tletKeturyknowIhintedatit，'causewe'regoin'toloseoneboarderwhenyouquit，andthat'stoomany，'cordin'totheoldlady'swayofthinkin'。“
　　“YoucankeepMatildy，forallme，“repliedthecaptaindecidedly。
　　“Come-Outerreligion'sallright，forthosethathavethatkindofappetite，buthavin'itpassedtomethreetimesaday，sameasI'vehaditatyourhouse，isenough；Idon'thankertohaveitwarmedoverbetweenmeals。IfIshippedMatildyaboardheresheandtheReverendDanielswouldstandoverme，watchandwatch，tillIwasconvertedorcrazy，oneortheother。“
　　“Well，there'sAngie。She——“
　　“Angie！”sniffedMr。Tidditt。“Stopyourjokin'，Bailey。Thisisaseriousmatter。“
　　“Iwan'tjokin'。What——“
　　“There！there！boys，“interruptedthecaptain；“don'tfight。
　　Baileydidn'tmeantojoke，Ase；he'sfullofwhatthepaperscall'unconscioushumor。'I'llgiveinthatAngieisaboutasseriousamatterasIcanthinkofwithoutsettin'downtorest。Humph！sofurwehaven'tgainedanyknotstospeakof。Anymorecandidatesonyourmind？”
　　Morepossibilitieswerementioned，butnoneofthemseemedtofillthebill。Theconferencebrokeupwithoutarrivingatadecision。
　　Mr。Bangsandthetownclerkwalkeddownthehilltogether。
　　“Doyouknow，Bailey，“saidAsaph，“thewayIlookatit，thispickin'outahousekeeperforWhitain'tanycommonjob。It'ssomethin'tothinkover。Cy'sarestlesscritter；beencruisin'
　　hitherandyonallhislife。I'msortofscaredthathe'llgettiredofBayportandquitifthingsheredon'tgotosuithim。Nowifarealgoodnicewoman——aniceLOOKIN'woman，say——wastokeephouseforhimit——it——“
　　“Well？”
　　“Well，Imean——thatis，don'tyous'poseifsomesuchwomanasthatwastobefoundforthejobhemightintimecometolikeherand——
　　and——er——“
　　“AseTidditt，whatareyoudrivin'at？”
　　“Why，Imeanhemightcometomarryher；there！Thenhe'dbecontentedtosettledowntohomeandstayput。Whatdoyouthinkoftheidea？”
　　“Thinkofit？Ithinkit'sthedumdestfoolishnesseverIheard。
　　Ideclareiftheverymentionofawomantosomeofyouoldbachesdon'tmakeyourheadssoftenuplikeajellyfishinthesun！Ain'tCyWhittakergotmoney？Ain'thegotanicehome？Ain'thehappy？”
　　“Yes，heisnow，Is'pose，but——“
　　“WELL，then！Andyouwanthimtogetmarried！Whatdoyouknowaboutmarryin'？Nevertriedit，haveyou？”
　　“CourseIain't！YouknowIain't。“
　　“Allright。ThenI'dkeepquietaboutsuchthings，ifIwasyou。“
　　“Youneedn'tflyuplikeasettin'hen。Everybody'swifeain't——“
　　Hestoppedinthemiddleofthesentence。
　　“What'sthat？”demandedhiscompanion，sharply。
　　“Nothin'；nothin'。_I_don'tcare；Iwasonlytryin'tofixthingscomf'tableforWhit。HasHemansaidanythingabouttheharborappropriationsencehe'sbeenhome？Ihaven'theardofitifhehas。“
　　Mr。Bangs'sanswerwasagrunt，signifyinganegative。CongressmanAtkinshadbeen，sincehisreturntoBayport，exceedinglynoncommittalconcerningtheappropriation。ToTadSimpsonandaveryfewchosenlieutenantsandintimateshehadsaidthathehopedtogetit；thatwasall。Thiswasadisquietingchangeofattitude，for，atthebeginningofthetermjustpassed，hehadaffirmedthathewasGOINGtogetit。However，asMr。Simpsonreassuringlysaid：“Thejob'sinasgoodhandsascanbe，sowhat'stheuseofOURworryin'？”
　　BaileyBangscertainlywasnottroubledonthatscore；butthetownclerk'sproposalthatCaptainCybeprovidedwithasuitablewifedidworryhim。Baileywassoverymuchmarriedhimselfandhadsuchdecided，thoughunspoken，viewsconcerningmatrimonythatsuchaproposalseemedtohimlunacy，pureandsimple。Hehadlikedandadmiredhisfriend“Whit“intheolddays，whenthelatterledthemintoallsortsofboyishscrapes；nowheregardedhimwithalikingthatwasclosetoworship。Thecaptainwassojollyandoutspoken；
　　sobraveandindependent——witnesshiscrossingofthegreatAtkinsinthematterofthedownstairsteacher。Thatwasarecklesspieceoffollywhichwould，doubtless，berewardedafteritskind，butBailey，thoughheprofessedtocondemnit，secretlywishedhehadtheplucktodaresuchthings。Asitwas，hedidn'tdarecontradictKeturah。
　　WiththeexceptionofonevoyageascabinboytoNewOrleans，avoyagewhichconvincedhimthathewasnotmeantforaseaman，Mr。
　　BangshadneverbeenfartherfromhisnativevillagethanBoston。
　　CaptainCyhadbeenalmosteverywhereandseenalmosteverything。
　　HecouldspinyarnsthatbeattheserialstoriesinthepatentinsideoftheBayportBreezeallhollow。Baileyhadfiguredthat，whenthe“fixin'over“wasended，theCyWhittakerplacewouldbeforhimadelightfulhavenofrefuge，wherehecouldputhisbootsonthefurniture，smokeuntildizzywithoutbeingpouncedupon，beentertainedandthrilledwithtalesofadventureafloatandashore，andevenexpresshisownopinion，whenhehadany，withthevoiceandlungpowerofafree-bornAmericancitizen。
　　AndnowAsaphTidditt，whoshouldknowbetter，eventhoughhewasabachelor，wantedtobringawifeintothisparadise；notapaiddomesticwhocouldbesilenced，ordischarged，ifshebecameanuisance，butaWIFE！Baileyguessednot；notifhecouldpreventit。
　　SohelayawakenightsthinkingofpossiblehousekeepersforCaptainCy，andcarefullyrejectingallthosepossessingdangerousattractionsofanykind。Eachmorning，afterbreakfast，heranoverthelistwiththecaptain，takingcarethatAsaphwasnotpresent。CaptainCy，whowasverybusywiththefinishingtouchesatthenewoldhouse，weariedonthethirdmorning。
　　“There，there，Bailey！”hesaid。“Don'tbothermenow。I'vegototherthingsonmymind。HowdoIknowwhoallthesewomenfolksareyou'restringingofftome？Letmealone，do。“
　　“Butyoumusthaveahousekeeper，Cy。You'llmoveinMondayandyouwon'thavenobodyto——“
　　“Oh，dryup！IwanttothinkwhoImustseethismorning。There'sLemandoldladyPenniman，and——“
　　“Butthehousekeeper，Cy！Don'tyousee——“
　　“Hireoneyourself，then。Youknow'em；Idon't。“
　　“Hey？Hireonemyself？Doyoumeanyou'llleaveitinmyhands？”
　　“Yes，yes！Iguessso。Runalong，that'sagoodfeller。“
　　Hedepartedhurriedly。Mr。Bangsscratchedhishead。Aweightyresponsibilityhadbeenlaiduponhim。
　　MondaymorningafterbreakfastCaptainCy'strunkwasputaboardthedepotwagon，andDan'lWebsterdrewittoitsowner'shome。
　　Thefarewellsattheperfectboardinghousewereaffecting。Mrs。
　　TrippsaidthatshehadspokentotheReverendMr。Daniels，andhewouldbesuretocalltheveryfirstthing。Keturahaffirmedthatthecaptain'sstayhadbeenarealpleasure。
　　“Youneverfindfault，Cap'nWhittaker，“shesaid。“You'resuchamanlyman，ifyou'llexcusemysayin'so。Ionlywishtherewasmorelikeyou，“withasignificantglanceatherhusband。AsforMissPhinney，shemighthavebeensayinggood-byyetifthecaptainhadnotexcusedhimself。
　　Asaphaccompaniedhisfriendtothehouseonthehill。Thetrunkwasunloadedfromthewagonandcarriedintothebedroomonthefirstfloor，theroomwhichhadbeenCaptainCy'ssolongago。
　　GabeshriekedatDan'lWebster，andthedepotwagoncrawledawaytowardtheupperroad。
　　“Gottomeettheuptrain，“grumbledthedriver。“Notthatanybodyevercomesonit，butIcal'lateI'ms'posedtobethere。BemoretalkthanalittleifIwan't。Gitdap，Dan'l！you'reslower'nthemorallaw。“
　　“Soyou'regoin'todoyourowncookin'foraspell，Cy？”observedAsaph，ahalfhourlater，“Well，Iguessthat'sagoodidea，tillyoucanfindtherighthousekeeper。Iain'tbeenabletothinkofonethatwouldsuityouyet。“
　　“NorI，either。Neither'sBailey，Ijudge，thoughforawhilehewasasfullofsuggestionsasapinegroveisofwoodticks。Hestartedtosaysomethin'aboutittomelastnight，butKeturyhoveinsightandyankedhimofftoprayermeetin'。“
　　“Yes，Iknow。Shecal'latestogethimintoheavensomehow。“
　　“Iguess'twouldn'tBEheavenforherunlesshewasroundtopickat。Therehecomesnow。How'dhegetoutofwipin'dishes？”
　　Mr。Bangsstrolledintotheyard。
　　“Hello！”hehailed。“IwasonmywaytoSimmons'sonanerrandandIthoughtI'dstopinaminute。Gotsomethin'totellyou，Whit。“
　　“Allright。Overboardwithit！Itwon'tkeeplongthishotweather。“
　　Baileysmiledknowingly。“Didn'tIheartheuptrainwhistleasI
　　wascomin'along？”heasked。“SeemstomeIdid。Yes；well，ifI
　　ain'tmistakensomebody'scomin'onthattrain。Somebodyforyou，CyWhittaker。“
　　“SomebodyforME？”
　　“Um——hum！Icangen'rallybedependedon，Ical'late，andwhenyousaystome：'Bailey，yougetmeahousekeeper，'Ididn'tlosemuchtime。Igother。“
　　Mr。Tiddittgasped。
　　“GOTher？”herepeated。“Gotwho？Gotwhat？BaileyBangs，whatintheworldhave——“
　　“Belay，Ase！”orderedCaptainCy。“Bailey，whatareyougivin'
　　us？”
　　“Givin'youahousekeeper，andagoodone，too，Ishouldn'twonder。
　　Shemaynotbeoneofthemten-thousand-dollarprizemuseumbeauties，“withascornfulwinkatAsaph，“butifwhatIhear'strueshecankeephouse。Anyhowshe'skeptoneforfortyoddyear。
　　Hername'sDeborahBeasley，she'sawidowovertoEastTrumet，andifIdon'tmissmyguess，she'sinthedepotwagonnowheadedinthisdirection。“
　　CaptainCywhistled。Mr。Tiddittwastoomuchsurprisedtodoeventhat。
　　“Iwasspeakin'tothefellerthatdrivesthecandycart，“continuedBailey，“andIaskedhimifhe'drunacrostanybody，durin'histrips'roundthecountry，who'dbelikelytohireoutforahousekeeper。Hethoughtaspellandthennamedoversome。Among'emwasthisBeasleyone。Iaskedsomemorequestionsand，theanswersbein'satisfactorytoME，thoughtheymightnotbetosomefolks——“
　　anotherderisivewinkatAsaph——“Isetdownandwroteher，tellin'
　　whatyou'dpay，Cy，whatshe'dhavetodo，andwhenshe'dhavetocome。SaturdaynightIgotaletter，sayin'termswasallright，andshe'dbeonhandbythismornin'strain。Courseshe'sonlyontrialforamonth，butyouhadtohaveSOMEBODY，andthecandy-cartfellersaid——“
　　Thetownclerkslappedhisknee。
　　“DebbyBeasley！”hecried。“Iknowwhosheis！I'vegotacousininTrumet。DebbyBeasley！AuntDebby，theycallher。Why！she'soldenoughtobeMethusalem'sgrandmarm，and——“
　　“IfIrecollectright，“interruptedBailey，withdignity，“CyneversaidhewantedaYOUNGwoman——afrivolous，giddycritter，alwaysriggin'upandchasin'thefellers。Hewantedasot，soberhousekeeper。“
　　“Godfrey！AuntDebbyain'tfrivolous！Shecouldn'tchasealameclam——andcatchit。AndDEEF！Godfrey——scissors！she'sdeefer'noneofthemcast-ironNewfoundlandsinHeman'syard！Doyoumeantosay，BaileyBangs，thatyouwentahead，onyourownhook，andhiredthatoldrelicto——“
　　“Idid。AndIhadmyauthority，didn'tI，Whit？Youtoldmeyou'dleaveitinmyhands，nowdidn'tyou？”
　　Thecaptainsmiledsomewhatruefully，andscratchedhishead。
　　“Why，tobehonest，Bailey，IbelieveIdid，“headmitted。“Still，Ihardlyexpected——Humph！isshedeef，asAsesays？”
　　“Iunderstandshe'salittlemitehardofhearin'，“repliedMr。
　　Bangs，withdignity；“butthatain'tanydrawback，thewayIlookatit。Factis，I'dcallitanadvantage，butyoufolksseemtobehardtoplease。Irutherimaginedyou'dthankmeforgettin'her，butIs'posethatwastoomuchtoexpect。Allright，pitchherout！Don'tmindMYfeelin's！Poorhomelesscrittercomin'to——“
　　“Homeless！”repeatedAsaph。“What'sthatgottodowithit？Cyain'trunnin'theOldWoman'sHome。“
　　“Well，well！”observedthecaptainresignedly。“There'snouseinrowin'aboutwhatcan'tbehelped。Baileysaysheshippedherforamonth'strial，andherecomesthedepotwagonnow。That'sherontheaftthwart，Ijudge。SheAIN'Twhatyou'dcallaspringpullet，isshe！”
　　Shecertainlywasnot。Theoccupantofthedepotwagon'srearseatwasathin，nottosayscraggy，female，wearingablack，befloweredbonnetandablackgown。Ablackknitshawlwasdrapedabouthershouldersandsheworespectacles。
　　“Whoa！”commandedMr。Lumley，pilotingthedepotwagontothesidedooroftheWhittakerhouse。Dan'lWebstercametoanchorimmediately。Gabeturnedandaddressedhispassenger。
　　“Herewebe！”heshouted。
　　“Hey？”observedtheladyinblack。
　　“Here——we——be！”repeatedGabe，raisinghisvoice。
　　“See？Seewhat？”
　　“Oh，heavenstoBetsey！I'mgettin'thecroupfromhowlin'。I——
　　say——HERE——WE——BE！GETOUT！”
　　Heaccompaniedthefinalbellowwithanexpressivepantomimeindicatingthatthepassengerwasexpectedtoalight。Sheseemedtounderstand，forsheopenedthedoorofthecarriageandslowlydescended。Mr。Bangsadvancedtomeether。
　　“Howd'yedo，Mrs。Beasley！”hesaid。“Gladtoseeyouallsafeandsound。“
　　Mrs。Beasleyshookhishand；herswerecovered，asfarastheknuckles，byblackmitts。
　　“Howd'yedo，Cap'nWhittaker？”shesaid，inashrillvoice。“Youprettysmart？”
　　Baileyhastenedtoexplain。
　　“Iain'tCap'nWhittaker，“heroared。“I'mBaileyBangs，theonethatwrotetoyou。“
　　“Hey？”
　　Mr。LumleyandAsaphchuckled。Baileycoloredandtriedagain。
　　“Iain'tthecap'n，“hewhooped。“Hereheis——here！”
　　Heledherovertoherprospectiveemployerandtappedthelatteronthechest。
　　“Howd'yedo，sir？”saidthehousekeeper。“Idon'tknow'sIjustcaughtyourname。“
　　Infiveminutesorsothesituationwasmadereasonablyclear。
　　Mrs。Beasleythendemandedhertrunkandcarpetbag。ThegrinningLumleyborethemintothehouse。Thenhedroveaway，stillgrinning。BaileylookedfearfullyatCaptainCy。
　　“SheISkindofhardofhearin'，ain'tshe？”hesaidreluctantly。
　　“YourememberIsaidshewas。“
　　Thecaptainnodded。
　　“Yes，“heanswered，“you'reatruth-tellin'chap，Bailey，I'llsaythatforyou。Youdon'texaggerateyourstatements。“
　　“Hardofhearin'！”snappedMr。Tidditt。“Ifthelasttrumpain'tasteamwhistleshe'llmissJudgmentDay。I'llstopintoSimmons'sonmywayalongandbuyyouabottleofthroatbalsam，Cy；you'regoin'toneedit。“
　　Thecaptainneededmorethanthroatbalsamduringthefortnightwhichfollowed。ThewidowBeasley'sdeafnesswasnotheronlyfailing。Infactshewasaltogetherafailure，sofarasherhousekeepingwasconcerned。Shecouldcook，afterafashion，butthefashionwassolimitedthateventhebilloffareattheperfectboardinghouselookedtemptinginretrospect。
　　“Bakedbeansagain，Cy！”exclaimedAsaph，droppinginoneeveningaftersupper。“'Tain'tSaturdaynightsosoon，isit？”
　　“No，“wasthedismalrejoinder。“It'sTuesday，ifmyalmanacain'toutofjoint。ButwehadbeansSaturdayandtheyain'tallgoneyet，soIpresumewe'llhave'emtillthelastone'sswallowed。
　　AuntDebby'sgotwhatthepieceintheReaderusedtocalla'frugalmind。'Shedon'tintendtowasteanything。LastThursdayIspunkedupcourageenoughtoyellforsaltfishandpotatoes——
　　fixedupwithporkscraps，youknow，same'sweusedtohavewhenI
　　wasaboy。Wehad'emallright，andifbeansofaSaturdayhadn'tbeenpartofherreligionwe'dbewarmin''emupyet。Itookinacatforcompany'totherday，butthecritter'srunaway。Toseeitlookatthebeansinitssaucerandthenatmewaspitiful；Ifeltlikehandin'myselfovertotheCrueltytoAnimals'folks。“
　　“Issheneat？”inquiredMr。Tidditt。
　　“Idon'tknow。Iguessso——ontheinstallmentplan。Ittakesheraweektoscrubupthekitchen，andthenoneendofitissodirtyshehastobeginagain。ConsequentlythedustissothickintherestofthehousethatIcanseemytracks。If'twan'tsolateintheseasonI'dplantgardenstuffintheparlor——nicesoilandlotsofshade，withthecurtainsdown。“
　　Fromtheroomsintherearcamethewordsofagospelhymnsunginatremuloussopranoandatconcertpitch。
　　“Musicwithmymeals，justlikeahigh-tonedrestaurant，“commentedCaptainCy。
　　“Butwhatmakeshersingsoeverlastin'LOUD？”
　　“Can'thearherselfifshedon't。Icouldstandherdeefness，becausethat'sanafflictionandwemayallcometoit；but——“
　　Thehousekeeper，stillsinging，enteredtheroomandplantedherselfinachair。
　　“Goodevenin'，Mr。Tidditt，“shesaid，smilinggenially。“Niceweatherwe'vebeenhavin'。“
　　Asaphnodded。
　　“Sociablecritter，ain'tshe！”observedthecaptain。“Alwayswillin'tohelpentertain。Comesandsetsupwithmetillbedtime。
　　Tellsaboutherfamilytroubles。PreachesabouthernieceoutWest，andhowsetthenieceandtherestoftheWesternrelationsaretohavehermake'emavisit。Itoldhershebettergo——I
　　thought'twoulddohergood。Iknow'twouldhelpMEconsider'bletoseeherstart。
　　“She'sgotsonowshefindsfaultwithmyneckties，“headded，“saysImustbecarefulandnotgetmyfeetwet。PicksoutwhatI
　　oughttowearso'sIwon'tgetcold。She'lladoptmeprettysoon。
　　Oh，it'sallright！Shecan'thearwhatyousay。Areyourdishesdone？”heshrieked，turningtotheoldlady。
　　“One？Onewhat？”inquiredMrs。Beasley。
　　“Theywon'tBEdonetillyougo，Ase，“continuedthemasterofthehouse。“She'llstaywithustillthelastgunfires。T'otherdayAngiePhinneycalledandIturnedDebbylooseonher。Ididn'tbelieveanythingcouldwearoutAngie'stalkin'machinery，butshedidit。Angelinestayedtwentyminutesandthenquit，hoarseasacrow。“
　　Herethewidowjoinedintheconversation，evidentlyundertheimpressionthatnothinghadbeensaidsinceshelastspoke。
　　Continuingherfavorablecommentsontheweathersheobservedthatshewasgladtherewassolittlefog，becausefogwashardforfolkswith“neuralgypains。“Herbrother'swife'scousinhad“neuralgy“foryears，andshedescribedhissufferingswithenthusiasmandinfinitedetail。Mr。Tiddittansweredherquestionsverballyatfirst；laterbynodsandshakesofthehead。CaptainCyfidgetedinhischair。
　　“Comeonoutdoor，Ase，“hesaidatlast。“Nousetowaittillsherunsdown，'causeshe'saself-winder，guaranteedtokeepgoin'forayear。Good-night！”heshouted，addressingMrs。Beasley，andheadingforthedoor。
　　“Whereyougoin'？”askedtheoldlady。
　　“No。Yes。Whosaidso？Hooray！ThreecheersforGen'ralScott！
　　Comeon，Ase！”Andthecaptain，seizinghisfriendbythearm，draggedhimintotheopenair，andslammedthedoor。
　　“Areyoucrazy？”demandedtheastonishedtownclerk。“Whatmakesyoutalklikethat？”
　　“Mightaswell。Shewouldn'tunderstanditanybetterif'twasScripture，anditsavesbrainwork。TheonlysatisfactionIgetisbein'abletogivemyopinionofherandthegrubwithouthurtin'
　　herfeelin's。IfIcalledherawooden-headedjumpin'jackshe'donlysmileandsayNo，shedidn'tthink'twasgoin'torain，orsomethin'justasbrilliant。“
　　“Well，whydon'tyougiveherherwalkin'papers？”
　　“Ishall，whenhermonth'sup。“
　　“Iwouldn'twaitnomonth。I'dheaveheroverboardto-night。YouhearME！”
　　CaptainCyshookhishead。
　　“Ican't，verywell，“hereplied。“IhatetomakeherfeelTOO
　　bad。Whenthemonth'soverI'llhavesomeexcuseready，maybe。
　　Thejokeofitisthatshedon'treallyneedtoworkout。She'sgotsomemoneyofherown，ownscranberryswampsandIdon'tknowwhatall。SaysshetookupBailey'soffer'causeshecal'latedI'dbecompanyforher。Ihadtolaugh，eveninthefaceofthosebeans，whenshesaidthat。“
　　“Humph！ifIdon'ttellBaileywhatIthinkofhim，then——“
　　“No，no！Don'tyousayawordtoBailey。It'sprincipallyonhisaccountthatI'mtryin'tostickitoutforthemonth。Baileydidhisbest；hethoughthewashelpin'。Andhefeelsdreadfullybecauseshe'ssodeef。OnlyyesterdayheaskedmeifIbelievedtherewasanythingmadethatwouldfixherupandmakeitmorecomfortableforme。Icouldhaveprescribedashotgun，butI
　　didn't。Yousee，hethinksherdeefnessistheonlytrouble；I
　　haven'ttoldhimtherest，anddon'tyoudoit，either。Bailey'sagood-heartedchap。“
　　“Humph！hisheartmaybegood，buthishead'sgoin'toseed。I'llkeepquietif'twillpleaseyou，though。“
　　“Yes。And，seehere，Ase！Idon'tcaretobethelaughin'stockofBayport。IfanyofthefolksaskyouhowIlikemynewhousekeeper，youtell'emthere'snothin'likeheranywhere。
　　That'snolie。“
　　SoMrs。BeasleystayedonattheWhittakerplaceand，thankstoMr。
　　Tidditt，thegeneralopinionofinquisitiveBayportwasthatthenewhousekeeperwasagrandsuccess。OnlyCaptainCyandAsaphknewthewholetruth，andMr。Bangsapart。Thatpart，Deborah'sdeafness，troubledhimnotalittleandhethoughtmuchconcerningit。AsaresultofthisthinkinghewrotealettertoarelativeinBoston。Theanswertothisletterpleasedhimandhewroteagain。
　　Oneafternoon，duringthethirdweekofMrs。Beasley'sstay，AsaphcalledandfoundCaptainCyinthesittingroom，readingtheBreeze。Thecaptainurgedhisfriendtoremainandhavesupper。
　　“We'verunoutofbeans，Ase，“heexplained，“andarejuststartin'
　　inonacourseofboiledcod。Dostayandeatalot；thentherewon'tbesomuchtowarmover。“
　　Mr。Tiddittacceptedtheinvitation，alsoasectionoftheBreeze。
　　Whiletheywerereadingtheyheardthebackdoorslam。
　　“It'sthegravenimage，“explainedthecaptain。“She'sbeenonacruisedowntownsomewheres。Bealotofsorethroatsinthatdirectionto-morrowmornin'。“
　　Thetownclerklookedup。
　　“Therenow！”heexclaimed。“Ibelieve'twasherIsawwalkin'withBaileyaspellago。Ithoughtso，butIdidn'thavemyspecsandI
　　wan'tsure。“
　　“WithBailey，hey？Humph！thisisserious。HopeKeturydidn'tsee'em。Wemustn'thaveanyscandal。“
　　Thehousekeeperenteredthediningroom。Shewassinging“BeulahLand，“buthertonewasmoresubduedthanusual。Theyheardhersettingthetable。
　　“How'sshegettin'along？”askedAsaph。
　　“Progressin'backwards，sameasever。She'snobetter，thankyou，andthedoctor'sgivenuphopes。“
　　“Whenyougoin'totellhershecanclearout？”
　　“What？”CaptainCyhadreturnedtohispaperanddidnothearthequestion。
　　“Isaywhenisshegoin'tobebounced？Deefnessain'tcatchin'，isit？”
　　“Iwouldn'twonderifitmightbe。If'tis，mineoughttobedevelopin'fast。Whatmakeshersostillallatonce？”
　　“Gonetothekitchen，Iguess。Wondershehasn'tsailedinandsetdownwithus。Oldchromo！Youmustbegladhermonth'smostup？”
　　Asaphproceededtogivehisopinionofthehousekeeper，raisinghisvoicealmosttoahowl，ashisindignationgrew。IfMrs。Beasley'searshadbeenordinaryonesshemighthaveheardtheunflatteringdescriptioninthekitchen；asitwasMr。Tiddittfeltnofear。
　　“Comin'hereso'syoucouldbecompanyforher！Theidea！Goodtoherself，ain'tshe！Godfreyscissors！AndBaileywasfoolenoughto——“
　　“There，there！Don'tletitworryyou，Ase。I'veaboutdecidedwhattosaywhenIlethergo。I'lltellhersheisgettin'toooldtobeslavin'herselftodeath。Yousee，Idon'twanttomaketheoldcrittercry，norIdon'twanthertogetmad。Judgin'bythewaysheusedtocoaxthecatoutdoorswiththebroomhandleshe'sgotsomethin'ofatemperwhenshegetsstarted。I'llgiveheranextrymonth'swages，and——“
　　“Youwill，hey？YouWILL？”
　　Theinterruptioncamefrombehindthepartiallycloseddining-roomdoor。Mr。Tiddittsankbackinhischair。CaptainCysprangfromhisandthrewthedoorwideopen。BehinditcrouchedMrs。DeborahBeasley。Hereyessnappedbehindherspectacles，herleanformwastremblingallover，andinherrighthandsheheldamammothtrumpet，thesmallerendofwhichwasconnectedwithherear。
　　“Youwill，hey？“shescreamed，brandishingherleftfist，butstillkeepingtheeartrumpetinplacewithherright。“YouWILL？
　　Well，Idon'twantnoneofyourmiser'blemoney！Landknowshowyoumadeit，anyhow，andIwouldn'tsoilmyhandswithit。AfterallI'veputupwith，andthewayI'vedonemywork，andthethingsI'vehadtoeat，and——and——“
　　Shepausedforbreath。CaptainCyscratchedhischin。Asaph，gazingopen-mouthedatthetrumpet，stirredinhischair。Mrs。
　　Beasleyswoopeddownuponhimlikeagullonaminnow。
　　“Andyou！”sheshrieked。“You！amiserablelittle，good-for-
　　nothin'，lazy，ridiculous，dried-up……Oo——oo——OH！Youcallyourselfatownclerk！YOUdo！I——Iwouldn'thaveyouclerkforahenhouse！I'manoldchromo，beI？Yes！that'snicetalk，ain'tit，toawomanoldenoughtobe——thatis——er——er——'mostasoldasyoube！Yousneakin'，story-tellin'，little，fatTHING，you！You——
　　oh，Ican'tlaymytonguetowordstotellyouWHATyouare。“
　　“You'redoin'prettywell，seemstome，“observedCaptainCydryly。
　　“Iwouldn'tbediscouragedifIwasyou。“
　　Theonlyeffectofthisremarkwastoturnthewordytorrentinhisdirection。Thecaptainboreitforawhile；thenherosetohisfeetandcommandedsilence。
　　“That'senough！Stopit！”heordered，and，strangetosay，Mrs。
　　Beasleydidstop。“I'msorry，Debby，“hewenton，“butyouhadnobusinesstobelistenin'evenif——“andhesmiledgrimly，“youhavegotanewfoghorntohearwith。Youcangoandpackyourthingsassoonasyouwantto。Imadeupmymindthefirstdayyoucomethatyouandmewouldn'tcruisetogetherlong，andthisonlyshortensthetripbyaweekorso。I'llpayyouforthismonthandforthenext，andIguess，whenyoucometothinkitover，you'llbewillin'torisksoilin'yourhandswiththemoney。It'syourownfaultifanybodyknowsthatyoudidn'tleaveofyourownaccord。_I_shan'ttell，andI'llseethatTiddittdoesn't。Nowtrot！AseandI'llgetsupperourselves。“
　　Itwasevidentthattheex-housekeeperhadmuchmorewhichshewouldhavelikedtosay。Buttherewasthatinherlateemployer'smannerwhichcausedhertoforbear。Sheslammedoutoftheroom，andtheyheardherbangingthingsaboutonthefloorabove。
　　“Butwhere——WHERE，“repeatedMr。Tidditt，overandover，“didshegetthattrumpet？”
　　Thepuzzlewassolvedsoonafter，whenBaileyBangsenteredthehouseinahighstateofexcitement。
　　“Well，“hedemanded，expectantly。“Didtheyhelpher？Hasanythinghappened？”
　　“HAPPENED！”beganAsaph，butCaptainCysilencedhimbyawink。
　　“Yes，“answeredthecaptain；“something'shappened。Why？”
　　“Hurrah！Ithought'twould。Shecanhearbetter，can'tshe？”
　　“Yes，Iguessit'ssafetosayshecan。“
　　“Good！Youcanthankmeforit。WhenIseehowdreadfuldeefshewasIwrotemycousinEddieT，who'sanopticianuptoBoston——youknowhim，Ase——andIsays：'Ed，youknowwhat'sgoodforfolkswhocan'tsee？Ain'ttherenothin'，'saysI，'that'llhelpthemwhocan'thear？Howabouteartrumpets？'AndEdwrotethataneartrumpetwouldprobablyhelpsome，butwhydidn'tItryapairofthempatentfixin'sthataremadetoputinsidedeefpeople'sears？
　　He'dknownofcaseswheretheyhelpedalot。SoIsentforapair，andthebiggesteartrumpetmade，besides。AndwhenImetDebbyto-dayIgive'emtoherandtoldhertoputthepatentthingsIN
　　herearsandcoupleonthetrumpetoutside'em。Andnottosaynothin'toyou，butjustsurpriseyou。Anditdidsurpriseyou，didn'tit？”
　　ThewrathfulMr。Tiddittcouldwaitnolonger。Heburstintoavividdescriptionofthe“surprise。“Baileywasaghast。CaptainCylaugheduntilhisfacewaspurple。
　　“Ideclare，Cy！”exclaimedthedejectedpurchaserofthe“earfixin's“andthetrumpet。“IdodeclareI'mawfulsorry！ifyou'donlytoldmeshewasnogoodI'dhaveletheralone；butIthought'twasjustthedeefness。I——I——“
　　“Iknow，Bailey；youmeantwell，likethelayin'-on-of-handsdoctorwhorubbedtherheumaticman'swoodenleg。Allright；_I_forgiveyou。'TwasworthitalltoseeAsaph'sfacewhenMarmBeasleywascomplimentin'him。Ha！ha！Oh，dearme！I'velaughedtillI'msore。Butthere'sonethingISHOULDliketodo，ifyoudon'tmind：Ishouldliketopickoutmynexthousekeepermyself。“
　　CHAPTERV
　　AFRONT-DOORCALLER
　　Mrs。Beasleydepartednextmorning，takingwithhertheextramonth'swages，inspiteoffervidavowalsthatshewouldn'ttouchacentofit。OnthewaytothedepotshefavoredMr。Lumleywithsundryhintsconcerningthereasonsforherdeparture。She“couldn'tstanditnolonger“；iffolksonlyknewwhatshe'dhadtoputupwithshecal'latedthey'dbesomesurprised；shecould“tellafewthings“ifshewantedto，andsoon。Incidentallyshewaskindofgladshedidn'tliketheplace，becausenowshecal'latedsheshouldgoWestandvisitherniece；they'dbeenwantinghertocomeforsolong。
　　Gabewasmuchinterestedandrepeatedthemonologue，withimaginativeadditions，tothedepotmaster，who，inturn，repeatedittohiswifewhenhewenthometodinner。Thatladyattendedsewingcircleintheafternoon。NextdayalargeshareofBayport'sconversationdealtwiththehousekeeper'sleavingandherreasonstherefor。Thereasonsdifferedwidely，accordingtotheportionofthetowninwhichtheywerediscussed，butitwasthegeneralopinionthatthewholeaffairwasnotcreditabletoCaptainWhittaker。
　　Onlyattheperfectboardinghousewasthecaptainupheld。MissPhinneydeclaredthatsheknewhehadmadeamistakeassoonassheheardtheBeasleywomantalk；nobodyelse，soAngelinedeclared，could“getawordinedgeways。“Mrs。Trippsighedandaffirmedthatgoingoutoftownforawomantodohouseworkwasridiculousonthefaceofit；therewereplentyofBayportladies，womenofcapabilityandsoundintheirreligiousviews，whomightbehirediftheywereapproachedintherightway。Keturahgave，asheropinion，thatifthecaptainknewwhenhewaswelloff，hewould“takehismealsout。“AsaphsnortedandintimatedthatthatDebbyBeasleywasn'tfitto“keephouseinapigsty，andanybodybutaborngumpwouldhaveknownit。“Bailey，the“borngump，“saidnothing，butlookedappealinglyathischum。
　　AsforCaptainCy，hedidnottakethetroubletoaffirmordenytherumors。PeaceandquietdominatedtheWhittakerhouseforthefirsttimeinthreeweeksanditsownerwashappier。Hecookedhisownfoodandwashedhisowndishes。Therunawaycatventuredtoreturn，foundotherviandsthanbeansinitssaucer，anddecidedtoremain，purringthankfulcontentment。Thecaptainmadehisownbed，afterafashion，whenhewasreadytooccupyit，buthewasconsciousthatitmightbebettermade。Herefused，however，tospendhistimeinsweepinganddusting，andthedustcontinuedtoaccumulateonthecarpetsandfurniture。Thisconditionofaffairstroubledhim，buthekepthisowncounsel。AsaphandBaileycalledoften，buttheyofferednomoresuggestionsastohiringahousekeeper。Mr。Tiddittmighthavedoneso，butthecaptaingavehimnoencouragement。Mr。Bangs，recenthumiliationfreshinhismind，wouldassoonhavesuggestedsettingthehouseonfire。
　　OneeveningAsaphhappenedin，onhiswaytoSimmons's。Hedesiredthecaptaintoaccompanyhimtothatgatheringplaceofthewiseandtalkative。CaptainCywasinthesittingroom，asheetofnotepaperinhishand。Thetownclerkenteredwithoutceremonyandtossedhishatonthesofa。
　　“Evenin'，Ase，“observedthecaptain，foldingthesheetofpaperandputtingitintohispocket。“Gladyoucome。Sitdown。I
　　wantedtoaskyousomethin'。“
　　“Allright！HereIbe。Heaveaheadandask。“
　　CaptainCypuffedathispipe。Heseemedabouttospeakandthentothinkbetterofit，forhecrossedhislegsandsmokedoninsilence，gazingatthenickelworkofthe“base-burner“stove。Itwasbadlyinneedofpolishing。
　　“Well？”inquiredAsaph，withimpatientsarcasm。“Thinkin'ofaskin'metobuildafireforyou，wasyou？Nobodyelsebutyouwouldhavesetupastoveinsummertime，anyhow。“
　　“Hey？No，youneedn'tstartafireyetawhile。Thatnecktieofyours'llkeepuswarmtillfall，Ishouldn'twonder。Newone，ain'tit？Where'dyougetit？”
　　Mr。Tiddittwaswearingacrochetedscarfofabrilliantcrimsonhue，particularlybecomingtohiscomplexion。Thecomplexionnowbrighteneduntilitwasalmostamatchforthetie。
　　“Oh！”hesaid，withelaborateindifference。“That？Yes，it'snew。
　　Yesterdaywasmybirthday，andMatildyTrippsheknewIneededanecktie，soshegivemethisone。“
　　“Oh！Onesheknitpurposeforyou，then？Dearme！Lookout，Ase。
　　Widowwomenaredangerous，theysay；presentsareoneofthefirstbaitstheyheaveout。“
　　“Don'tbefoolish，now！Icouldn'tchuckitbackather，couldI？
　　Thatwouldbeprettymanners。Youneedn'ttalkaboutwidders——notafterDebby！Ho！ho！”
　　CaptainCychuckled。Thenhesuddenlybecameserious。
　　“Ase，“hesaid，“yourememberthetimewhentheHowesfolkshadthishouse？Courseyoudo。Yes；well，wasthereanyoftheirrelationsherewith'em？A——acousin，orsomethin'？”
　　“No，notasIrecollect。Yes，therewas，too，cometothink。A
　　thirdcousin，MaryThayerhernamewas。ITHINKshewasathirdcousinofBetsyHowes，SethHowes'ssecondwife。Betsy'snamewasGinnaforeshemarried，andtheGinnswasrelatedontheirma'ssidetoaRichards——EmilyRichards，Ithink'twas——andEmilymarriedaThayer。WouldthatmakethisMaryathirdcousin？Nowlet'ssee；SarahJaneGinn，shehadanauntwhokeptaboardin'
　　houseinHarniss。Irememberthat，'countofhersellin'myUncleBijeapig。Seemstome'twasapig，butIain'tsurethatitmightn'thavebeenasettin'ofPlymouthRockhens'eggs。Anyhow，UncleBijeKEPThens，becauseIrememberonetime——“
　　“There！there！we'llbeoutofsightoflandinaminute。ThisMaryThayer——old，wasshe？”
　　“No，no！Justayounggirl，eighteenortwentyorso。PrettyandniceandquietaseverIsee。ByGodfrey，sheWASpretty！Iwan'tasoldasIbenow，and——“
　　“Ase，don'ttellyourheartsecrets，eventome。Imightgetabsent-mindedandmention'emtoMatildy。Andthen——whew！”
　　“Ifyoudon'tstoptryin'toplaysmartyI'llgohome。What'sMatildyTripptome，I'dliketoknow？AndevenwhenMaryThayerwashereIwasoldenoughtobeherdad。ButIrememberwhatanicegirlshewasandhowtheboarderslikedher。TheyusedtosayshedonemorethanalltheHowestribeputtogethertomaketheSeaSightHouseagoodhotel。Youngasshewasshedonemostofthehousekeepin'anddoneitwell。Iftherestof'emhadbeenlikeheryoumightn'thavehadtheplaceyet，Whit。Butwhatsetyoutothinkin'abouther？”
　　“Oh，Idon'tknow！Nothin'much；thatis——well，I'lltellyousomeothertime。Whatbecameofher？”
　　“ShewentuptoNewHampshirealongwiththeHowesfolksandI
　　ain'tseenhersince。SeemstomeIdidhearshewasmarried。Seehere，Whit，whatisitabouther？Tellafeller；come！”
　　ButCaptainCyrefusedtogratifyhischum'slivelycuriosity。
　　AlsoherefusedtogotoSimmons'sthatevening，sayingthathewastiredandguessedhe'dstayathomeand“turninearly。“Mr。
　　Tiddittdepartedgrumbling。Afterhehadgonethecaptaindrewhischairnearerthecentertable，tookfromhispocketasheetofnotepaper，andproceededtoreadwhatwaswrittenonitspages。Itwasaletterwhichhehadreceivednearlyamonthbeforeandhadnotyetanswered。Duringthepastweekhehadreaditmanytimes。
　　Thewritingwascrampedandblottedandthepapercheapanddingy。
　　TheenvelopeborethepostmarkofasmalltowninIndiana，andtheinclosurewaswordedasfollows：
　　CAPTAINCYRUSWHITTAKER。
　　DEARSIR：Isupposeyouwillbeagooddealsurprisedtohearfromme，especiallyfromwayoutWesthere。WhenyouboughttheoldhouseofSeth，heandIwaslivinginConcord，N。H。Hecouldn'tmakeagoofhisbusinessthere，sowecameWestandhehasbeensickmostofthetimesince。Weain'twellofflikeyou，andtimesarehardwithus。WhatIwantedtowriteyouaboutwasthis。MycousinMaryThomas，MaryThayerthatwas，isstilllivinginConcordandsheispoorandneedshelp，thoughIdon'tsupposeshewouldaskforit，beingtooproud。FalseprideIcallit。MeandSethwouldliketodosomethingforher，butwehaveahardenoughjobtokeepgoingourselves。MarymarriedamanbythenameofHenryThomas，andheturnedouttobeamiserablegood-for-nothing，asIalwayssaidhewould。Shewouldn'tlistentomethough。HerunoffandlefthersevenyearagolastApril，andIunderstandwaskilledordrownedsomewheresupinMontana。Maryand[severalwordsscratchedouthere]gotalongsomehowsince，butIdon'tknowhow。WhilewelivedinConcordSethsortofkeptaneyeonher，butnowhecan'tofcourse。She'sagoodgirl，orwomanrather，beingmostforty，andwouldmakeagoodhousekeeperifyoushouldneedoneasIsupposelikelyyouwill。IfyoucouldhelpheritwouldbeanactofcharityandyouwillberewardedAbove。Sethsayswhynotwritetoherandtellhertocomeandseeyou？Hefeelsbadabouther，becauseheissosickIsuppose。Andheknowsyouarerichandcoulddogoodifyoufeltlikeit。Herfather'snamewasJohnThayer。Iwouldn'twonderifyouusedtoknowhermother。ShewasEmilyRichardsaforeshemarriedandtheyusedtoliveinOrham。
　　Yourstruly，ELIZABETHHOWES。
　　P。S——Mary'saddressisMrs。MaryThomas，careMrs。Oliver，128
　　BlankStreet，Concord，N。H。
　　N。B——Sethwon'tsayso，butIwill：weareveryhardupourselvesandifyoucouldhelphimandmewiththeloanofalittlemoneyitwouldbethankfullyreceived。
　　CaptainCyreadtheletter，foldedit，andreplaceditinhispocket。HeknewtheHowesfamilybyreputation，andthereputationwasthatofgeneralsharpnessintradeandstinginessinmoneymatters。Betsy'spersonalappealdidnot，therefore，touchhishearttoanygreatextent。HesurmisedalsothatforSethHowesandhiswifetoaskhelpforsomepersonotherthanthemselvespremisedadarkyinthewoodpilesomewhere。ButforthedaughterofEmilyRichardstobesuggestedasapossiblehousekeeperattheCyWhittakerplace——thatwasinteresting，certainly。
　　Whenthecaptainwasnotacaptain——whenhewasmerely“youngCy，“
　　aboy，livingwithhisparents，adancingschoolwasorganizedinBayport。Itwasaninnovationforourvillage，andfrowneduponbymanyoftheolderandstricterinhabitants。However，mostofthecaptain'sboyfriendswerepermittedtoattend；youngCywasnot。
　　Hisfatherconsidereddancingawasteoftimeand，ifnotwicked，certainlyfrivolousandnonsensical。Sotheboyremainedathome，but，inspiteoftheparentalorder，hepracticedsomeofthefiguresofthequadrillesandthecontradancesinhiscomrades'
　　barns，learningthematsecondhand，sotospeak。
　　OnewintertherewastobeapartyinOrham，givenbytheNickersons，wealthypeoplewithafifteen-year-olddaughter。Itwastobeagrandaffair，andmostoftheboysandgirlsintheneighboringtownswereinvited。Cyreceivedaninvitation，and，forawonder，waspermittedtoattend。TheBayportcontingentwentoverinabighayrickonrunnersandthemoonlightridewasjollyenough。TheNickersonmansionwascrowdedandthereweremusicanddancing。
　　YoungCywasmiserableduringthedancing。Hedidn'tdareattemptit，inspiteofhislessonsinthebarn。So，whiletherestofhisboyfriendssoughtpartnersforthe“PortlandFancy“and“Hull'sVictory“hesatforlorninacorner。
　　Ashesattherehewasapproachedbyayounglady，radiantinmuslinandribbons。Shewasthreeorfouryearsolderthanhewas，andhehadworshippedherfromafarasshewhirledupanddownthelineintheVirginiaReel。Sheneverlackedpartnersandseemedtobeagreatfavoritewiththeyoungmen，especiallyonegood-lookingchapwithasunburnedface，wholookedlikeasailor。
　　Theywereformingsetsfor“MoneyMusk“；itwas“ladies'choice，“
　　andtherewasademandformorecouples。TheyoungladycameevertoCy'scornerandlaughinglydroppedhimacourtesy。
　　“Ifyouplease，“shesaid，“Iwantapartner。Willyoudomethehonor？”
　　Cyblushinglyavowedthathecouldn'tdanceanytospeakof。
　　“Oh，yes，youcan！I'msureyoucan。You'retheWhittakerboy，aren'tyou？I'veheardaboutyourbarnlessons。AndIwantyoutotrythiswithme。Pleasedo。No，John，“sheadded，turningtothesunburnedyoungfellowwhohadfollowedheracrosstheroom；“thisismychoiceandhereismypartner。SusieTaylorisafteryouandyoumustn'trunaway。Come，Mr。Whittaker。“
　　SoCytookherarmandtheydanced“MoneyMusk“together。Hemadebutafewmistakes，andtheseshehelpedhimtocorrectsoeasilythatnonenoticed。Hissuccessgavehimcourageandheessayedotherdances；infact，hehadaverygoodtimeatthepartyafterall。
　　Onthewayhomehethoughtagreatdealabouttheprettyyounglady，whosenamehediscoveredwasEmilyRichards。Hedecidedthatifshewouldonlywaitforhim，hemightliketomarryherwhenhegrewup。Buthewasthirteenandshewasseventeen，andtheverynextyearshemarriedJohnThayer，thesailorinthebluesuit。
　　AndtwoyearsafterthatyoungCyranawaytobeasailorhimself。
　　Inspiteofhisageandhislifetimeofbatteringabouttheworld，CaptainCyhadasentimentalstreakinhismakeup；hisrejuvenationoftheoldhomeprovedthat。Betsy'sletterinterestedhim。HehadmadeguardedinquiriesconcerningMaryThayer，nowMaryThomas，ofothersbesidesAsaph，andtheanswershadbeensatisfactorysofarastheywent；thosewhorememberedherhadlikedherverymuch。
　　ThecaptainhadevenbegunalettertoMrs。Thomas，butlaiditasideunfinished，having，sinceBailey'sunfortunateexperiencewiththewidowBeasley，aprejudiceagainstexperiments。
　　Butthisevening，beforeMr。Tiddittcalled，hehadbeenthinkingthatsomethingwouldhavetobedoneanddonesoon。Thegenerallyshiftlessconditionofhisdomesticsurroundingswasgettingtobeunbearable。Dustanddirtdidnotfitintohismentalpictureoftheoldhomeasitusedtobeandashehadtriedtorestoreit。
　　Therehadbeenneitherdustnordirtinhismother'sday。
　　Hemeditatedandsmokedforanotherhour。Then，hismindbeingmadeup，hepulleddownthedesklidoftheold-fashionedsecretary，resurrectedfromapileofpapersthenotehehadbeguntoMrs。Thomas，dippedasputteringpenintotheinkbottleandproceededtowrite。
　　Hisletterwasashortoneandrathernoncommittal。AsMrs。Thomasnodoubtknewhehadcomebacktoliveinhisfather'shouseatBayport。Hemightpossiblyneedsomeonetokeephouseforhim。
　　Heunderstoodthatshe，MaryThayerthatwas，wasagoodhousekeeperandthatshewasopentoanengagementifeverythingwasmutuallysatisfactory。HehadknownhermotherslightlywhenthelatterlivedinOrham。Hethoughtaninterviewmightbepleasant，fortheycouldtalkoveroldtimesifnothingmore。Perhaps，onthewhole，shemightcaretoriskatriptoBayport，thereforeheinclosedmoneyforherrailroadfare。“Youunderstand，ofcourse，“sohewroteinconclusion，“thatnothingmaycomeofourmeetingatall。
　　Sopleasedon'tsayawordtoanybodywhenyoustriketown。You'velivedhereyourself，andyouknowthatthreewordshoveoverboardinBayportwilldredgeupgabenoughtosinkadictionary。Sojustkeepmumtillthebusinessissettledonewayortheother。“
　　Heputonhishatandwentdowntothepostoffice，wherehedroppedhisletterintheslotoftheboxfastenedtothefrontdoor。Thenhereturnedhomeandretiredatexactlyeleveno'clock。
　　InspiteofhisremarkstoAsaph，hehadnot“turnedin“soearlyafterall。
　　Ifthecaptainexpectedapromptreplytohisnotehewasdisappointed。Aweekpassedandheheardnothing。ThenthreemoredaysandstillnowordfromtheNewHampshirewidow。MeanwhilefreshlayersofdustspreadthemselvesovertheWhittakerfurniture，andthegaudypatternsofthecarpetsblusheddimlybeneathagrimyfog。Thesituationwasdesperate；evenMatildaTripp，Come-Outersermonsandall，begantobethinkableasapossibility。
　　Theeleventhdaybeganwithapouringrainthatchanged，lateron，toadismaldrizzle。Thesilver-leaftreeinthefrontyarddripped，andtheoverflowingguttersgurgledandsplashed。Thebaywasgrayandlonely，andthefishweirsalongtheouterbarwerelostinthemist。TheflowersintheAtkinsurnsweredraggledandbeatendown。Onlytheirondogsglistenedundauntedasthewetranofftheirnewlypaintedbacks。Theairwasheavy，andthesaltyflavoroftheflatsmightalmostbetastedinit。
　　CaptainCywasinthesittingroom，asusual。Hisspiritswereasgrayastheweather。Hewasactuallylonesomeforthefirsttimesincehisreturnhome。Hehadkindledawoodfireinthestove，justforthesociabilityofit，andthecrackleandglowbehindtheisinglasspanesonlyservedtoremindhimofotherdaysandotherfires。Thesittingroomhadnotbeenlonesomethen。