ItwasEmily'sbestgown，thefinestofthenew“rigout“preparedbyMissTaylor。ThegirlandCaptainCygazedruefullyattherentsandpitchstainsmadebythevinesandpinetrees。
　　“Well，yousee，“repliedtheabashedcaptain，“thefactis，sheain'tgotanymother。“
　　“Oh！Ibegyourpardon。Andhers，too，poordear。Well，ifIwereyouIshouldn'tgotosleepnexttimeItookherwalking。Goodafternoon。“
　　Sheturnedandcalmlywalkeddownthepath。Atthebendshespokeagain。
　　“Ishouldbegentlewithher，ifIwereyou，“shesaid。“Hernervesareprettywellupset。Besides，ifyou'llexcusemysayingso，I
　　don'tthinksheistheonethatneedsscolding。“
　　Theythoughtshehadgone，butsheturnedoncemoretoaddafinalsuggestion。
　　“Ithinkthatdresscouldbefixed，“shesaid，“ifyoutookittosomeonewhoknewaboutsuchthings。“
　　Shedisappearedamidstthegraveyardshrubbery。CaptainCyandBos'nslowlyfollowedher。Fromthepasturetheredandwhitecowsentafterthemabroken-spirited“Moo！”
　　Bos'nwashighlyindignant。Duringthehomewardwalkshesputteredlikeadampfirecracker。
　　“Theideaofhertalkingsotoyou，UncleCyrus！”sheexclaimed。
　　“Itwasn'tyourfaultatall。“
　　Thecaptainsmiledone-sidedly。
　　“Idon'tknowaboutthat，shipmate，“hesaid。“Iwouldn'twonderifshewasmorethanhalfright。Butsay！shewasallbusinessandnofrills，wasn'tshe！Ha，ha！Howshedidspunkuptothatheifer！Whointhedickensdoyoucal'latesheis？”
　　CHAPTERVIII
　　THE“COWLADY“
　　Thatquestionwasansweredtheverynextday。Bos'n，carefullydressedbyGeorgiannaunderthecaptain'ssupervision，andweighteddownwithadviceandcounselfromthelatter，startedfortheschoolhouseataquartertonine。OnlyasenseofshamekeptCaptainCyfromwalkingtoschoolwithher。Hespentamiserableforenoon。Theywerequitethelongestthreehoursinhisvariedexperience。Thehousewasdreadfullylonely。Hewanderedfromkitchentosittingroom，worriedGeorgianna，wokeupthecat，andmadeacompletenuisanceofhimself。Twelveo'clockfoundhimleaningoverthegateandlookingeagerlyinthedirectionoftheschoolhouse。
　　Bos'nranallthewayhome。Shewasinahighstateofexcitement。
　　“Whatdoyouthink，UncleCyrus？”shecried。“WhatDOyouthink？
　　I'vefoundoutwhothecowladyis！”
　　“Thecowlady？Oh，yes，yes！Haveyou？Whoisshe？”
　　“She'steacher，that'swhosheis！”
　　Thecaptainwasastonished。
　　“No！”heexclaimed。“PhoebeDawes？Youdon'tsayso！Well，well！”
　　“Yes，sir。WhenIwentintoschoolandfoundhersittingthereI
　　wassosurprisedIdidn'tknowwhattodo。Sheknewme，too，andsaidgoodmorning，andwasIallrightagainandwasmydressreallyasbadasitlookedtobe？ItoldherthatGeorgiannathoughtshecouldfixit，andifshecouldn't，hersistercould。
　　Shesaidthatwasnice，andthen'twastimeforschooltobegin。“
　　“Didshesayanythingaboutme？”inquiredCaptainCywhentheywereseatedatthedinnertable。
　　“Oh，yes！Iforgot。Shemusthavefoundoutwhoyouare，'causeshesaidshewassurprisedthatamanwhohadmadehismoneyoutofhidesshouldhavebeensocarelessaboutthecreaturesthatwore'em。“
　　“Humph！How'dshegetalongwiththeyoungonesinschool？”
　　Itappearedthatshehadgottenalongverywellwiththem。Someofthebiggerboysinthebackseats，cherishingpleasantmemoriesofthe“fun“theyhadunderMissSeabury'seasy-goingrule，attemptedtorepeattheirperformancesofthepreviousterm。Buttheveryfirst“spitball“whichspatteredupontheblackboardprovedadisastrousmissileforitsthrower。
　　“Shemadehimcleantheboard，“proclaimedBos'n，big-eyedandawestruck，“andthenhehadtostandinthecorner。HewasBennieEdwards，andhe'smostthirteen。MissSeabury，theysaid，couldn'tdoanythingwithhim，butteachersaid'Go，'asquietascouldbeandjustlookedathim，andhewent。Andhe'smostastallassheis。Hedidlooksosilly！”
　　TheEdwardsyouthwasnottheonlyonewhowasmadeto“looksilly“
　　bylittleMissDawesduringthefirstdaysofherstayinBayport。
　　ShedealtwiththeunrulymembersofherclassesasbravelyasshehadfacedtheCahooncow，andtheresultswerejustassatisfactory。
　　Shewasstrict，butshewasimpartial，andAliciaAtkinsfound，tohergreatsurprise，thatthedaughterofacongressmanwasexpectedtostudyasfaithfullyandbehaveherselfaswellasfreckled-facedNoahHamlin，whosefatherpeddledfishandwhoseeverydaycostumewasacheckered“jumper“andpatchedoveralls。
　　Theschoolcommittee，thatis，themajorityofit，wasdelightedwiththenewteacher。LemuelMyrickboastedloudlyofhisgoodjudgmentinvotingforher。ButTadSimpsonandDariusEllisandothersoftheAtkinsfollowingstillscoffedandhintedattroubleinthefuture。
　　“Anewbroomsweepsfine，“quotedMr。Simpson。“She'sdoin'allrightnow，maybe。Anyway，theyoungonesarebehavin'themselves，butdisCIPlineain'tthewholething。HemantoldmethattheteacherhewantedcouldtalkFrenchlanguageandplaymusicandallkindsofaccomplishments。Phoebe——notfindin'anyfaultwithher，youunderstand——don'tknownomoreaboutmusicthanahen；mywifesaysshedon'tevensinginchurchloudenoughforanybodytohearher。AndasforFrench！whyeverybodyknowssheusesthecommonestsortofUnitedStates，justaseasytounderstandaswhatI'msayin'now。“
　　MissDawesboardedattheperfectboardinghouse。Thereopinionwasdividedconcerningher。BaileyandMr。Tiddittlikedher，butthefeminineboarderswerenotsofavorablyimpressed。
　　“Ithinkshe'saltogethertoopertaboutwhatdon'tconcernher，“
　　commentedAngelinePhinney。“SarahEmmaSimpsondroppedint'otherdaytodinner，andwechurchfolksgottotalkin'abouttheminister'spreachin'such'advanced'sermons。AndSarahEmmatoldhowshe'dheardhesaidhe'dknownsomerealmoralUniversalistsinhistime，orsomesuchunreligiousfoolishness。AndIsaidI
　　wonderedhedidn'tgetanewtailcoat；theonehepreachedinSundayswasoldasthehillsandsooutgrownitwouldn'tscurcelybuttonacrosthim。'Amanbein'paidninehundredayear，'Isays，'oughttodressdecent，anyhow。'AndthatPhoebeDawesspeaksup，withoutbein'asked，andsaysforherpartshe'drutherhearabroadmaninanarrercoatthant'otherwayabout。'Twasaregularslapinthefaceforme，andSarahEmmaandIain'tgotoverityet。“
　　CaptainCyheardthegossipconcerningthenewteacheranditratherpleasedhim。Sheappearedtobeindependent，andhelikedindependence。Hemetheronceortwiceonthestreet，butshemerelybowedandpassedon。Oncehetriedtothankheragainforherpartinthecowepisode，butshewouldnotlistentohim。
　　Bos'nwasmakinggoodprogresswithherstudies。Shewasnaturallyabrightchild——notthemarvelthecaptainandthe“BoardofStrategy“consideredher，butquicktolearn。Shewasnotasaint，however，andoccasionallymisbehavedinschoolandwaspunishedforit。Oneafternoonshedidnotreturnatherusualhour。CaptainCywaswaitingatthegatewhenAsaphTidditthappenedalong。
　　Bailey，too，waswithhim。
　　“Waitin'forBos'n，wasyou？”askedthetownclerk。“Well，you'llhavetowaitquiteaspell，Ical'late。She'sbeenkeptafterschool。“
　　“Yes；andshe'sgottowritefiftylinesofcopy，“addedBailey。
　　CaptainCywashighlyindignant。
　　“Getout！”hecried。“Sheain'tneither。“
　　“Yes，shehas，too。OneoftheSaltersyoungonestoldme。Iknewyou'dbemad，thoughIs'posefolksthatdidn'tknowher'swell'swedowouldsayshe'snodifferentfromotherchildren。“
　　Thiswasclosetoheresy，accordingtothecaptain'sopinion。
　　“Sheain't！”hecried。“I'dliketoknowwhynot！Ifsheain'ttwiceassmartastherunofyoungones'roundherethen——Humph！
　　Andshe'skeptafterschool！Well，now；Iwon'thaveit！There'senoughtimeforstudyin'withoutwearin'outherbrainsafterhours。Oh，Iguessyou'remistaken。“
　　“No，weain't。Itellyou，Whit，ifIwasyouI'dmakeafussaboutthis。She'sasmartchild，Bos'nis；Ineverseeasmarter。
　　Andsheain'tanytoostrong。“
　　“That'sso，sheain't。“TheideathatEmily'shealthwas“delicate“
　　hadbecomeafixedfactinthemindsofthecaptainandthe“Board。“
　　Itmadeagoodexcuseforthesystematicprocessof“spoiling“thegirl，whichtheindulgentthreeweredoingtheirbesttocarryon。
　　“Iwouldn'tletherbekept，Cy，“urgedBailey。“Whydon'tyougorightoffandseePhoebeandsettlethisthing？You'vegotarighttotalktoher。Shewouldn'tbeteacherifitwasn'tforyou。“
　　AsaphaddedhisargumentstothoseofMr。Bangs。CaptainCy，carriedawaybyhisfirmbeliefthatBos'nwasaparagonofallthatwasbrilliantandgood，finallyyielded。
　　“Allright！”heexclaimed。“Comeon！Thatpoorlittlethingshan'tbeputuponbynobody。“
　　Thetriomarchedmajesticallydownthehill。AstheynearedtheschoolhouseBailey'scouragebegantofail。MissDaweswasaboarderathishouse，andhefearedconsequencesshouldKeturahlearnofhisinterference。
　　“I——Iguessyoudon'tneedme，“hestammered。“Thethreeofus'llscarethatteacherwomanmosttodeath。Andshe'ssolittleandmeek，youknow。IfIshouldlosemytemperandrareupImightsaysomethin'thatwouldhurtherfeelin's。I'llsetonthefenceandwaitforyouandAse，Whit。“
　　Mr。Tidditt'sscornfulcommentsconcerning“whitefeathers“and“backsliders“hadnoeffect。Mr。Bangsperchedhimselfonthefence。
　　“Giveittoher，fellers！”hecalledafterthem。
　　“TalkDutchtoher！Letherknowthatthere'sonechildshecan'tabuse。“
　　AtthefootofthestepsAsaphpaused。
　　“Say，Cy，“hewhispered，“don'tyouthinkIbetternotgoin？Itain'treallymybusiness，youknow，and——and——Well，I'monthes'lectmenandshemightbefrightenedifsheseemepouncin'downonher。'Tain'tasifIwasjustacommonman。I'llgoandsetalongofBaileyandyougoinandtalkquiettoher。She'dfeelsosortofashamediftherewasanyoneelsetoheartherakin'over——
　　hey？”
　　“Now，seehere，Ase，“expostulatedthecaptain，“Idon'tliketodothisallbymyself！Besides，'twasyouchapsputmeuptoit。Youain'tgoin'topulloutoftheraceandleavemetogooverthecoursealone，areyou？Comeon！whatare，youafraidof？”
　　Hiscompanionhotlydeniedthathewas“afraid“ofanything。Hehadallsortsofargumentstobackhisdecision。AtlastCaptainCylostpatience。
　　“Well，BEaskulk，ifyouwantto！”hedeclared。“I'vesetouttoseethisthingthrough，andI'mgoin'todoit。Only，“hemuttered，asheenteredthedownstairsvestibule，“IwishIdidn'tfeelquitesomuchasifIwasstealin'hens'eggs。“
　　MissDawesherselfopenedthedoorinresponsetohisknock。
　　“Oh，it'syou，Cap'nWhittaker，“shesaid。“Comein，please。“
　　CaptainCyenteredtheschoolroom。Itwasempty，savefortheteacherandhimselfandonelittlegirl，who，seatedatadesk，waswritingbusily。Shelookedupandblushedavividred。ThelittlegirlwasBos'n。
　　“Sitdown，Cap'n，“saidMissPhoebe，indicatingthevisitor'schair。“Whatwasityouwantedtoseemeabout？”
　　Thecaptainacceptedtheinvitationtobeseated，buthedidnotimmediatelyreplytoMissDawes'squestion。Hedroppedhishatonthefloor，crossedhislegs，uncrossedthem，andthenobservedthatitwasprettysummeryweatherforsolateinthefall。Theteacheradmittedthetruthofhisassertionandwaitedforhimtocontinue。
　　“I——Is'poseschool'sprettyfull，nowthatcranb'ryin''sover，“
　　saidCaptainCy。
　　“Yes，prettyfull。“
　　“Gettin'alongfirstratewiththescholars，Ihear。“
　　“Yes。“
　　Thiswasamostunpromisingbeginning，reallynobeginningatall。
　　Thecaptainclearedhisthroat，sethisteeth，and，withoutlookingathiscompanion，doveheadlongintothebusinesswhichhadbroughthimthere。
　　“MissDawes，“hesaid，“I——Is'poseyouknowthatBos'n——ImeanEmilythere——islivin'atmyhouseandthatI'mtakingcareofherfor——forthepresent。“
　　Theladysmiled。
　　“Yes，“shesaid。“Igatheredasmuchfromwhatyousaidwhenwefirstmet。“
　　Sheherselfhadsaidoneortwothingsonthatoccasion。CaptainCyrememberedthemdistinctly。
　　“Yes，yes，“hesaidhastily。“Well，mydoin'sthattimewasn'texactlythebestsampleofthecare，Iwillsay。Wan'tevenafairsample，maybe。Itrytodomybestwiththechild，longasshestayswithme，and——er——and——er——I'mprettyparticularaboutherhealth。“
　　“I'mgladtohearit。“
　　“Yes。Now，MissPhoebe，IappreciatewhatyoudidforBos'nandmethatSunday，andI'mthankfulforit。I'vetriedtothank——“
　　“Iknow。Pleasedon'tsayanymoreaboutit。Iimaginethereissomethingelseyouwanttosay，isn'tthere？”
　　“Why，yes，thereis。I——IheardthatEmmiehadbeenkeptafterschool。Ididn'tbelieveit，ofcourse，butIthoughtI'drunupandseewhat——“
　　Hehesitated。Theteacherfinishedthesentenceforhim。
　　“Toseeifitwastrue？”shesaid。“Itis。Itoldhertostayandwritefiftylines。“
　　“Youdid？Well，nowthat'swhatIwantedtospeaktoyouabout。
　　CourseIain'tinterferin'inyouraffairs，youknow，butIjustwantedtoexplainaboutBos'n——Emmie，Imean。Sheain'tacommonchild；she'sgottoomuchheadfortherestofher。Ifyou'dlivedwithhersameasIhaveyou'dappreciateit。Herhealth'sdelicate。“
　　“Isit？Sheseemsstrongenoughtome。Ihaven'tnoticedanysymptoms。“
　　“Coursenot，elseyouwouldn'thavekeptherin。But_I_know，andIthinkit'smydutytotellyou。Nevermindifshecan'tdoquitesomuchwritin'。I'drathershewouldn't；shemightbustabloodvesselorsomethin'。SuchthingsHAVEhappened，toextrysmartyoungones。Youjustlethertrotalonghomewithmenowand——“
　　“Cap'nWhittaker，“MissDaweshadrisentoherfeetwithadeterminedexpressiononherface。
　　“Yes，ma'am，“saidthecaptain，risingalso。
　　“Cap'nWhittaker，“repeatedtheteacher，“I'mverygladthatyoucalled。I'vebeenratherexpectingyoumight，becauseofcertainthingsIhaveheard。“
　　“Youheard？Whatwasityouheard——ifyoudon'tmindmyaskin'？”
　　“No，Idon't，becauseIthinkwemusthaveanunderstandingaboutEmily。Ihaveheardthatyouallowhertodoasshepleasesathome；inotherwords，thatyouarespoilingher，and——“
　　“SPOILIN'her！_I_spoilin'her？Whotoldyousuchanunlikelyyarnasthat？Iain'tthekindtospoilanybody。Why，I'msostrictthatI'mashamedofmyselfsometimes。“
　　Hehonestlybelievedhewas。MissPhoebecalmlycontinued。
　　“Ofcourse，whatyoudoathomeisnoneofmybusiness。Ishouldn'tmentionitanyhow，ifyouhadn'tcalled，becauseIpayverylittleattentiontotowntalk，havinglivedinthiscountyallmylifeandknowingwhatgossipamountsto。IlikeEmily；she'saprettygoodlittlegirlandwellbehaved，aschildrengo。Butthisyoumustunderstand。Shecan'tbespoiledhere。Shewhisperedthisafternoon，twice。Shehasbeenwarnedoften，andknowstherule。I
　　keptherafterschoolbecauseshebrokethatrule，andifshebreaksitagain，shewillbepunishedagain。IkepttheEdwardsboytwohoursyesterdayand——“
　　“Edwardsboy！Doyoumeantocomparethat——thatyoungripofaBenEdwardswithagirllikeBos'n？Ineverheard——“
　　“I'mnotcomparinganybody。I'mtryingtobefairtoeveryscholarinthisroom。And，solongasEmilybehavesherself，sheshallbetreatedaccordingly。Whenshedoesn't，sheshallbepunished。Youmustunderstandthat。“
　　“ButBenEdwards！Why，he'sawooden-head，sameashisdadwasaforehim！AndEmmie'sthesmartestscholarinthistown。“
　　“Oh，no，sheisn't！She'sagoodscholar，butthereareothersjustasgoodandevenquickertolearn。“
　　Thiswaspilingoneinsultuponanother。OtherchildrenasbrilliantasBos'n！CaptainCywasburstingwithrighteousindignation。
　　“Well！”heexclaimed。“Well！forateacherthatwe'vecalledto——“
　　“Andthat'sanotherthing，“brokeinMissDawesquickly。“I'vebeentoldthatyou，Cap'nWhittaker，aretheonedirectlyresponsibleformybeingchosenforthisplace。Idon'tsaythatyouarepresumingonthat，but——“
　　“Iain't！Ineverthoughtofsuchathing！”
　　“Butifyouareyoumustn't，that'sall。Ididn'taskforthepositionand，nowthatI'vegotit，Ishalltrytofillitwithoutregardtoonepersonmorethananother。Emilystayshereuntilherlinesarewritten。Idon'tthinkweneedtosayanymore。Goodday。“
　　Sheopenedthedoor。CaptainCypickeduphishat，swallowedhard，andsteppedacrossthethreshold。ThenMissPhoebeaddedonemoreremark。
　　“Cap'n，“shesaid，“whenyouwereincommandofashipdidyouallowoutsiderstotellyouhowtotreatthesailors？”
　　Thecaptainopenedhismouthtoreply。Hewantedtoreplyverymuch，butsomehowhecouldn'tfindasatisfyinganswertothatquestion。
　　“Ma'am，“hesaid，“allIcansayisthatifyou'dbeeninSouthAmerica，sameasIhave，andseenthewaythemhalf-breedyoungonesact，you'd——“
　　Theteachersmiled，inspiteofanapparenteffortnotto。
　　“Perhapsso，“shesaid，“butthisisMassachusetts。And——well，Emilyisn'tahalf-breed。“
　　CaptainCystrodethroughthevestibule。JustbeforethedoorclosedbehindhimheheardastifledsobfrompoorBos'n。
　　TheBoardofStrategywaswaitingattheendoftheyard。Itsmemberswerefilledwithcuriosity。
　　“Didyougiveittohergood？”demandedAsaph。“Didyouletherunderstandwewouldn'tputupwithsuchcruelizin'？”
　　“Where'sBos'n？”askedMr。Bangs。
　　Theirfriend'sanswerswerebriefandtantalizinglyincomplete。HewalkedhomewardatagaitwhichcausedplumplittleBaileytopuffinhiseffortstokeepup，andhewouldsayalmostnothingabouttheinterviewintheschoolroom。
　　“Well，“saidMr。Tidditt，whentheyreachedtheWhittakergate，“I
　　guesssheknowsherplacenow；hey，Cy？Ical'lateshe'llbecarefulwhoshekeepsafterschoolfromnowon。“
　　“Didn'tusenoprofanelanguage，didyou，Cy？”askedBailey。“I
　　hopenot，'causeshemighthaveyoutookupjustoutofspite。Didsheaskyourpardonforheractions？”
　　“No！”roaredthecaptainsavagely。Then，bangingthegatebehindhim，hestrodeuptheyardandintothehouse。
　　Bos'ncamehomeahalfhourlater。CaptainCywasaloneinthesittingroom，seatedinhisfavoriterockerandmoodilystaringatnothinginparticular。Thegirlgazedathimforamomentandthenclimbedintohislap。
　　“Iwrotemyfiftylines，UncleCyrus，“shesaid。“TeachersaidI'ddonethemverynicely，too。“
　　Thecaptaingrunted。
　　“UncleCy，“whisperedBos'n，puttingherarmsaroundhisneck，“I'mawfulsorryIwassobad。“
　　“Bad？Who——you？Youcouldn'tbebadifyouwantedto。Don'ttalkthatwayorI'llsaysomethin'Ihadn'toughtto。“
　　“Yes，Icouldbebad，too。Iwasbad。Iwhispered。“
　　“Whispered！Whatofit？Thatain'tnothin'。WhenIwasayoungoneinschoolIusedtowhis……Hum！Well，anyhow，don'tyouthinkanymoreaboutit。'Tain'tworthwhile。“
　　Theyrockedquietlyforatime。ThenBos'nsaid：
　　“UncleCyrus，don'tyouliketeacher？”
　　“Hey？LIKEher？Well，ifthatain'taquestion？Yes，IlikeheraboutaswellasLonesomelikesEbenSalter'sdog。“
　　“I'msorry。Ilikehereversomuch。“
　　“YouDO？Go'long！Afterthewayshetreatedyou，poorlittlething！”
　　“Shedidn'ttreatmeanyworsethanshedoestheothergirlsandboyswhenthey'renaughty。AndIdidknowtheruleaboutwhispering。“
　　“Well，that'sdifferent。Comparin'youwiththatBennieEdwards——
　　theidea！Andthenmakin'youcry！”
　　“Shedidn'tmakemecry。“
　　“Did，too。Iheardyou。“
　　Thechildlookedupathimandthenhidherfaceinhiswaistcoat。
　　“Iwasn'tcryingabouther，“shewhispered。“Itwasyou。“
　　“ME！”Thecaptaingasped。“Goodland！”hemuttered。“It'sjustasIexpected。She'sstudiedtoohardandit'stouchin'herbrain。“
　　“No，sir，itisn't。Itisn'ttruly。IdidcryaboutyoubecauseI
　　didn'tliketohearyoutalkso。AndIwassosorrytohaveyoucomethere。“
　　“YouWAS！”
　　“Yes，sir。Otherchildren'sfolksdon'tcomewhenthey'rebad。
　　AndIkeptfeelingsosortofashamedofyou。“
　　“AshamedofME？”
　　Bos'nnoddedvigorously。
　　“Yes，sir。Everythingteachersaidsoundedsoright，andwhatyousaiddidn't。AndIliketohaveyoualwaysright。“
　　“Do，hey？Hum！”CaptainCydidn'tspeakagainforsomefewminutes，butheheldthelittlegirlverytightinhisarms。Atlengthhedrewalongbreath。
　　“Bythebigdipper，Bos'n！”heexclaimed。“You'reawonder，youare。Iwouldn'tbesurprisedifyougrewuptobeamindreader，likethatfellerintheshowwewenttoatthetownhallaspellago。TotellyouthehonestLord'struth，I'vebeenashamedofmyselfeversinceIcomeoutofthatschoolhousedoor。Whenthatteacherwomansprungthatonmeaboutmyfo'masthandsaboardshipIwassetbackaboutfortyfathom。IneverwantedtoansweranybodysobadinMYlife，andIcouldn't'causetherewasn'tanythingtosay。Ical'lateI'vemadeafoolofmyself。“
　　Bos'nnoddedagain。
　　“Wewon'tdosoanymore，willwe？”shesaid。
　　“Youbetwewon't！_I_won't，anyhow。Youhaven'tdoneanything。“
　　“Andyou'llliketeacher？”
　　Thecaptainstampedhisfoot。
　　“No，SIR！”hedeclared。“Shemaybeallrightinherway——Is'posesheis；butit'stooMassachusettsyawayforme。No，sir！I
　　don'tlikeherandIWON'Tlikeher。No，sir-ee，never！She——sheain'tmykindofawoman，“headdedstubbornly。“That'swhat'sthematter！Sheain'tmykindofawoman。“
　　CHAPTERIX
　　POLITICSANDBIRTHDAYS
　　“Townmeeting“wascalledforthetwenty-firstofNovember。
　　Withthesummerboardersgone，thecranberrypickingfinished，stateelectionover，schoolbegunandunderway，andrealwinternotyetuponus，Bayport，inthelatefall，distinctlyneedssomethingtoenlivenit。TheShakespeareReadingSocietyandthesewingcirclecontinue，ofcourse，tointerestthe“womenfolks，“
　　thereistheusualeveryeveninggatheringatSimmons's，andtheyoungpeoplearelookingforwardtothe“GrandBall“onThanksgivingeve。Butforthemen，onweekdays，thereislittletodoexceptto“putter“aboutthehouse，bankingitsfoundationswithdryseaweedasaprecautionagainstsearchingno'theasters，whitewashingthebarnsandoutbuildings，orfixingthingsinthevegetablecellarwherethesticksofsmokedherringhanginrowsabovethebarrelsofcabbages，potatoes，andturnips。Thefishweirs，mostofthem，aretakenup，lesttheice，whichwillbedrivenintothebaylateron，tearthenetstopieces。Eventhehensgrowlazyandlaylessfrequently。Therefore，awaybackinthe“airlydays，“somefar-sightedboardofselectmenarrangedthat“townmeeting“shouldbeheldduringthislackadaisicalseason。Atownmeeting——andparticularlyaBayporttownmeeting，whereeverythingfrompersonalaffairstoreligionislikelytobediscussed——canstirupexcitementwhennothingelsecan。
　　Thisyeartherewereseveralquestionstobetalkedoverandsettledattownmeeting。Twoselectmen，whosetermsexpired，werecandidatesforre-election。LemMyrickhadresignedfromtheschoolcommittee，notwaitinguntilspring，ashehadannouncedthatheshoulddo。Thentherewastheusualsentimentinfavorofbetterroadsandtheusualoppositiontoit。Alsotherewastheever-presenthopeofthegovernmentappropriationforharborimprovement。
　　Mr。Tiddittwasoneoftheselectmenwhosetermsexpired。InhisdualcapacityasselectmanandtownclerkAsaphfelthimselftobeaveryimportantpersonage。Toelectsomeoneelseinhisplacewouldbe，hewascertain，acalamitywhichwouldstaggerthetownship。Thereforehewasabusymanandmademanycallsuponhisfellowcitizens，nottoinfluencetheirvotes——hewascarefultoexplainthat——butjust，ashesaid，“toseehowtheywasgettin'
　　along，“andbecausehe“thoughtconsider'bleof'em“and“tookarealpersonalinterest，youunderstand，“intheiraffairs。
　　ToCaptainCyhecame，naturally，forencouragementandhelp，being——aswashishabitatsuchtimes——inastateofgloomandhopelessdespair。
　　“Nouse，Whit，“hegroaned。“'Tain'tnouseatall。I'mlicked。
　　I'mgettin'oldandtheydon'twantmenomore。IguessI'dbettergetrightupaforethevotin'beginsandtell'emmyhealthain'tstrongenoughtobetownclerknolonger。It'sbettertodothatthantobelicked。Don'tyouthinkso？”
　　“Surething！”repliedhisfriend，withsarcasm。“IfIwasyouI'dbetotedinonabedsotheycanseeyou'reallreadyforthefuneral。Mighthavethedoctorwalkin'ahead，wipin'hiseyes，andthejoyfulundertakertrottin'alongastern。What'stheparticulardiseasethat'sgotyoubythecollarjustnow——facialparalysis？”
　　“No。Whatmadeyouthinkofthat？”
　　“Oh，nothin'！OnlyIheardyoustoppedinattenhousesuptothewestendofthetownyesterday，andtalkedthreequartersofanhoursteadyateveryone。Thatwouldfitmeforthescrapheapinsideofaweek，andyou'vebeengoin'iteversinceSeptembernearly。Whatdoesailyou——anything？”
　　“Why，no；nothin'specialthatway。Onlytheredon'tseemtobeanyenthusiasmforme，somehow。Ijusthintatmybein'acandidateandfolkssay，'Yes，indeed。Lookslikerain，don'tit？'
　　andthat'saboutall。“
　　“Well，thathadn'toughttosurpriseyou。Ifanybodycametomeandsays，'Thesun'sgoin'toriseto-morrermornin'，'Ishouldn'tdanceonmyhatandcrowhallelujahs。Enthusiasm！Why，Ase，you'vebeenacandidateeverytwoyearssinceNoahgotthearkofftheways，oralongthere。Andthereain'tbeenanyoppositiontoyouyet，exceptthattimewhenUncle'BialStickneywokeupinthewrongplaceandhollered'No，'outofprinciple，thinkin'hewastohomewithhiswife。IfIwasyouI'dgoandtakeanap。You'llreadtheminutesatselectmen'smeetingsforanotherfiftyyear，moreorless；takemywordforit。Asfortheschoolcommittee，that'sdifferent。Iain'tmadeupmymindaboutthat。“
　　Therehadbeenmuchdiscussionconcerningtheschoolcommittee。
　　WhoshouldbechosentoreplaceMr。Myrickontheboardwasthegravestquestiontocomebeforethemeeting。ManynameshadbeenproposedatSimmons'sandelsewhere，butsomeofthosenamedhadrefusedtorun，andothershadnot，afterfurtherconsideration，seemedtheproperpersonsfortheoffice。IntheabsenceofMr。
　　Atkins，TadSimpsonwasourleaderinthepoliticalarena。ButTadsofarhadbeenmute。
　　“Waitawhile，“hesaid。“There'ssomeweeksaforetownmeetin'
　　day。Thisisaseriousbusiness。Wecan'thavenomore——Imeannounsuitablemantofillsuchanimportantplaceasthat。Thewelfareofourposterity，“headded，andweallrecognizedthequotation，“dependsuponthechoicethat'stobemade。“
　　Achoicewasmade，however，ontheverynextdaybutoneafterthisdeclaration。Acandidateannouncedhimself。AsaphandBaileyhurriedtotheCyWhittakerplacewiththenews。CaptainCywasinthewoodshedbuildingadollhouseforBos'n。“Justformyownamusement，“hehastilyexplained。“Somethin'forhertotakealongwhenshegoesoutWesttoBetsy。“
　　Mr。Tiddittwasallsmiles。
　　“Whatdoyouthink，Cy？”hecried。“Thenewschoolcommitteeman'sasgoodaselected。'LonzoSnow'sgoin'totakeit。“
　　Thecaptainlaiddownhisplane。
　　“'LonzoSnow！”herepeated。“Youdon'tsay！Humph！Well，well！”
　　“Yes，sir！”exclaimedBailey。“He'scomeforwardandsaysit'shisdutytodoso。He——“
　　“Humph！Hisduty，hey？Iwonderwhopointeditouttohim？”
　　“Well，Idon'tknow。ButevenTadSimpson'sglad；hesaysthatheknowsHemanwillbepleasedwithTHATkindofacandidateandsohewon'thavetodoanymorehuntin'。Hethinks'Lonzo'scomin'outbyhimselfthiswayisakindofspecialProvidence。“
　　“Yes，yes！Ishouldn'twonder。DidyouevernoticehowdeadsureTadandhiskindarethatProvidenceisworkin'with'em？Seemstome'twouldbemoresatisfactoryifwecouldgetasightoftheotherpartner'ssignaturetothedeed。“
　　“What'sthematterwithyou？”demandedAsaph。“Youain'tfindin'
　　faultwith'Lonzo，areyou？Ain'theagoodman？”
　　“Good！Surethinghe'sgood！Nobodycansayheisn'tandtellthetruth。“
　　NoonecouldtruthfullyspeakillofAlonzoSnow，thatwasafact。
　　Helivedatthelowerendofthevillage，waswelltodo，aleadingcranberrygrower，andveryprominentinthechurch。Amild，easygoingpersonwasMr。Snow，withanalmosttookeenfearofdoingthewrongthingandthereforepronetobeguidedbytheopinionofothers。Hewasdistinctlynotapolitician。
　　“Thenwhatailsyou？”askedAsaphhotly。
　　“Why，nothin'，maybe。OnlyI'malwayssuspiciouswhenTadpatsProvidenceontheback。IgenerallyfigurethatIcanseethroughadoughnut，whenthere'salightbehindthehole。Whois'Lonzo'sbestfriendinthistown？Whodoeshechumwithmostofanybody？”
　　“Why，DariusEllis，Iguess。Youknowit。“
　　“Um——hum。AndDariusisonthecommittee——why？”
　　“Well，Is'pose'causeHemanAtkinsthoughthe'dbeagoodfellertohavethere。But——“
　　“Yes，and'Lonzo'spewinchurchisrightundertheAtkinsmemorialwindow。ThelightfromitmakesakindofhaloroundhisbaldheadeverySunday。“
　　“Well，whatofit？Heman，nornobodyelse，couldbuy'LonzoSnow。“
　　“Buyhim？Indeedtheycouldn't。Buttherearesomethingsyougetwithoutbuyin'——themeasles，forinstance。Andtheonethat'scatchin''emdon'tknowhe'sindangertillthespecklesbreakout。
　　Fellers，thiscommitteevotedinPhoebeDawesbyjusttwovotestoone，andoneofthetwowasLemMyrick。Dariuswasagainsther。
　　NowwithTadandhis'Providence'puttin'in'LonzoSnow，andHemanAtkinssettin'behindthescreenworkin'hisNormalSchoolmusicboxso'stheycanhearthetune——well，PhoebeMAYstaythistermout，buthowaboutnext？”
　　“Hey？Why，Idon'tknow。Anyhow，you'redownonPhoebeasathousandofbrick。Idon'tseewhyyouworryaboutHER。AfterthewayshetreatedpoorBos'nandall。“
　　CaptainCystirreduneasilyandkickedachipacrossthefloor。
　　“Well，“hesaid，“well，I——Idon'tknow'sthat's——Thatis，right'srightandwrong'swrong。I'veseenbullfightsdownyonder——“
　　jerkinghisthumboverhisshoulderinthevaguedirectionofBuenosAyres，“andeverytimemysympathy'sbeenwiththebull。
　　NotthatIlovedthecritterforhisownsake，butbecauseallGreaserdomwasouttodownhim。FromwhatIhear，thisPhoebeDawes——forallherpeskydown-Eaststubbornness——isteachin'prettywell，andanyhowshe'sonelittlewomanagainstTadSimpsonandHemanAtkinsand——andTad'sspecialbrandofProvidence。Shedeservesafairshakeand，bythebigdipper，she'sgoin'tohaveit！Lookhere，youtwo！howwouldIlookontheschoolcommittee？”
　　“You？”repeatedthepairinconcert。“YOU？”
　　“Yes，me。Iain'taSolomonforwisdom，butIcal'lateI'dbeasnearthetopofthebarrelasDariusEllis，andonlyoneortwolayersunderEbenSaltersor'LonzoSnow。I'macandidate——see？”
　　“But——but，Whit，“gaspedthetownclerk，“areyoupopularenough？
　　Couldyougetelected？”
　　“Idon'tknow，butIcanfindout。YouandBailey'llvoteforme，won'tyou？”
　　“Coursewewill，but——“
　　“Allright。There'stwovotes。Ahundredandoddmore'llputmein。Heregoesforpoliticsandpopularity。Imaybepresidentyet；youcan'ttell。Andsay！thistownmeetin'won'tbeDULL，whicheverwaythecatjumps。“
　　Thislastwasasafeprophecy。AlldullnessdisappearedfromBayportthemomentitbecameknownthatCaptainCyrusWhittakerwas“out“fortheschoolcommittee。Thecaptainbeganhiselectioneeringatonce。Thatveryafternoonhecalleduponthreepeople——EbenSalters，JosiahDimick，andLemuelMyrick。
　　CaptainSalterswaschairmanofselectmenaswellaschairmanofthecommittee。Hewasahard-headedoldsalt，whohadmademoneyintheAustralianpacketservice。Hehadcommonsense，independence，andconsiderableinfluenceinthetown。NexttoCongressmanAtkinshewas，perhaps，ourleadingcitizen。And，morethanall，hewasnotafraid，whenhethoughtitnecessary，toopposethegreatHeman。
　　“Well，“hesaidreflectively，afterlisteningtoCaptainCy'sbriefstatementofhiscandidacy，“Ical'lateI'llstandinwithyou，Cy。
　　Iain'tgotanythingagainst'Lonzo，but——but——well，consarnit！
　　maybethat'sthetrouble。Maybehe'ssodarnedgooditmakesmejealous。Anyhow，I'lldowhatIcanforyou。“
　　JoeDimicklaughedaloud。Hewasaniconoclast，seldomwenttochurch，andwasentirelylackinginreverence。Alsohereallylikedthecaptain。
　　“Ho，ho！”hecrowed。“Whit，doyourealizethatyou'reunderminin'
　　thistown'sconstitution？Oh，sartin，I'mwithyou，ifit'sonlytoseethefurfly！Idoloveascrap。“
　　WithLemMyrickCaptainCy'spolicywasdifferent。Hegentlyremindedthatgentlemanofthepaintingcontract，intimatedthatotherfavorsmightbeforthcoming，andthen，asaclincher，spokeofTadSimpson'scommentwhenMr。MyrickvotedforPhoebeDawes。
　　“Ofcourse，“headded，“ifyouthinkTad'sgotarighttobossallhandsandthecook，why，Iain'tcomplainin'。Only，if_I_wasapainterdoin'agood，high-classtrade，andaone-hossbarbertriedtodictatetome，Ishouldn'tbowdownandtellhimtokickeasyashecould。SeemstomeI'dkickfirst。ButI'Mnoboss；Imustn'tinfluenceyou。“
　　Lemuelwasindignant。
　　“Nobarberrunsme，“hedeclared。“Youstandupformewhenthattownhallpaintin'stobedoneandI'llworkhardforyounow，Cap'nWhittaker。'LonzoSnow'sanelderandallthat，butIcan'thelpit。Anyway，hisplacewasallfixedupayearagoandIdidn'tgetthejob。Afellerhastolookafterhimselfthesedays。“
　　Withthesedivisioncommanderstoleadtheirforcesintotheenemy'scountryandwithAsaphandBaileydoingwhattheycouldtohelp，CaptainCy'scampaignsoonbecameworthyofrespectfulconsideration。ForawhileTadSimpsonscoffedattheopposition；
　　thenhebegantoworkopenlyforMr。Snow。Laterhemarshaledhistrustedofficersaroundthepooltableinthebackroomofthebarbershopandconfidedtothemthatitwasanybody'sfightandthathewasworried。
　　“It'spastbein'ajoke，“hesaid。“It'smightyserious。We'vegottohustle，wehave。Hemantrustedmeinthisjob，andifI
　　falldownit'llbebadformeandforyoufellers，too。Iwishhewashometorunthingshimself，buthe'sgotbusinessdownSouththere——somepropertyheownsorsomethin'——andsayshecan'tleave。
　　Butwemustwin！Bymighty！we'veGOTto。Sogeteveryvoteyoucan。Nevermindhow；justget'em，that'sall。“
　　CaptainCywasthoroughlyenjoyinghimself。Thestrugglesuitedhimtoperfection。Hewasyoung，inspiteofhisfifty-fiveyears，andthistussleagainstodds，remindinghimofothertusslesduringhisfirstseasonsinbusiness，arousedhisenergiesand，asheexpressedit，“stirreduphisvitalsandmadehimhoproundlikeadoseof'painkiller。'“
　　Hedidnot，however，forgetBos'n。Heandshehadtheirwalksandtheirpleasanteveningstogetherinspiteofpolitics。Hetookthechildintohisconfidenceandtoldherofthedailygain，orloss，invotes，asifshewerehisownage。Sheunderstoodalittleofallthis，andtriedhardtounderstandtherest，preachingbetweentimestoGeorgiannahow“thebadmenweretryingtobeatUncleCyrusbecausehewasgooderthanthey，buttheycouldn't，'causeeverybodylovedhimso。“Georgiannahadsomedoubts，butshekeptthemtoherself。
　　AmongthethingsinBos'n's“box“wasalongenvelope，sealedwithwaxandwithalawyer'snameprintedinonecorner。Thecaptainopenedit，atEmily'ssuggestion，andwasastonishedtofindthattheinclosurewasawill，datedsomeyearsback，inwhichMrs。MaryThomas，thechild'smother，lefttoherdaughterallherpersonalpropertyandalsothelandinOrham，Massachusetts，whichhadbeenwilledtoherbyherownmother。TherewasanotewiththewillinwhichMrs。Thomasstatedthatnoonesaveherselfhadknownofthisland，notevenherhusband。Shehadnottoldhimbecauseshefearedthat，likeeverythingelse，itwouldbesoldandthemoneywastedindissipation。“Hesuspectedsomethingofthesort，“sheadded，“buthedidnotfindoutthesecret，althoughhe——“Shehadevidentlyscratchedoutwhatfollowed，butCaptainCymentallyfilledintheblankwithdetailsofabuseandcruelty。“Ifanythinghappenstome，“concludedthewidow，“IwantthelandsoldandthemoneyusedforEmily'smaintenanceaslongasitlasts。“
　　ThecaptainwentovertoOrhamandlookeduptheland。Itwasastripalongtheshore，almostworthless，andunsalableatpresent。
　　ThetaxeshadbeenregularlypaideachyearbyMaryThomas，whohadsentmoneyordersfromConcord。Theself-denialrepresentedbytheseorderswasnotalittle。
　　“Nevermind，Bos'n，“saidCaptainCy，whenhereturnedfromtheOrhamtrip。“Yourancestralestatesain'tmuchnowbutasand-fleamenagerie。However，ifthissectioneverdoesgettobethebigsummerresortfolksareprophesyingforit，youmaysellouttosomemillionaireandyouandme'llgotoEurope。Meantime，we'lltrytokeepafloat，iftheHarnissBankdon'tspringaleak。“
　　OnthedayfollowingthisconversationhetookaflyingtriptoOstable，thecountyseat，returningthesameevening，andsayingnothingtoanyoneabouthisreasonsforgoingnorwhathehaddonewhilethere。
　　Bos'n'sbirthdaywastheeighteenthofNovember。Thecaptain，inspiteofthewarmthofhisstruggleforcommitteehonors，determinedtohaveasmallcelebrationontheafternoonandeveningofthatday。ItwastobeasurpriseforEmily，and，afterschoolwasover，someofherparticularfriendsamongthescholarsweretocomein，therewastobeacakewitheightcandlesonit，andasupperatwhichicecream——lemonandvanilla，preparedbyMrs。Cahoon——wastobetheprincipalfeature。Alsotherewouldbegamesandallsortsoffun。
　　CaptainCywastremendouslyinterestedintheparty。HespenthourswithGeorgiannaandtheBoardofStrategy，preparingthelistofguests。Hiscunninginascertainingfromtheunsuspectingchildwho，amongherschoolmates，shewouldliketoinvite，wasdeepandguileful。
　　“Now，Bos'n，“hewouldsay，“supposeyouwasgoin'toclearoutandleavethistownforaspell，who——“
　　“But，UncleCyrus——“Bos'n'seyesgrewfrightenedandmoistinamoment，“Iain'tgoing，amI？Idon'twanttogo。“
　　“No，no！Courseyouain'tgoin'——thatis，notforalongwhile，anyhow，“withasidelonglookatthemembersofthe“Board，“thenpresent。“Butjustsupposeyouandmewasstartin'onthatEuropetrip。Who'dyouwanttosaygood-bytomostofall？”
　　EachnamegivenbythechildwassurreptitiouslypenciledbyBaileyonascrapofpaper。Thelistwasalongoneand，whenthegreatafternooncame，theWhittakerhousewascrowded。
　　Thesupperwasabrilliantsuccess。Sowasthecake，broughtinwithcandlesablaze，bythegrinningGeorgianna。Besidethechildrenthereweresomeolderpeoplepresent，BaileyandAsaph，ofcourse，andthe“regulars“fromtheperfectboardinghouse，whohadbeeninvitedbecauseitwasfairlycertainthatMr。Bangswouldn'tbeallowedtoattendifhiswifedidnot。MissDaweshadalsobeenasked，atBos'n'swell-understoodpartiality，butshehaddeclined。
　　Towardtheendofthemeal，whenthehilarityatthelongtablewasatitsheight，anunexpectedguestmadehisappearance。Therewasaknockatthedining-roomdoor，andGeorgianna，openingit，waspetrifiedtobehold，standinguponthestep，nolessapersonagethantheHonorableHemanAtkins，supposedbymostofustobethensomewhereinthatwidestretchofterritoryvaguelytermed“theSouth。“
　　“Goodevening，all，“saidtheillustriousone，removinghissilkhatandsteppingintotheroom。“Whatacharmingscene！ItrustI
　　donotintrude。“
　　Georgiannawasstillspeechless，inwhichunwontedconditionshewasnotalone，Messrs。BangsandTiddittbeingalsostrickendumb。
　　ButCaptainCyrosetotheoccasiongrandly。
　　“Intrude？”herepeated。“Notamiteofit！Mightygladtoseeyou，Heman。Here，giveusyourhat。Pulluptothetable。Whendidyougetback？Thoughtyouwasintheorangegrovessomewheres。“
　　“Ahem！Iwas。Yes，Iwasinthatneighborhood。ButitishardtostayawayfromdearoldBayport。Hometies，youknow，hometies。
　　Icamedownonthemorningtrain，butIstoppedoveratHarnissonbusinessanddroveacross。Ahem！Yes。Thehousekeeperinformedmethatmydaughterwashere，and，seeingthelightsandhearingthelaughter，Icouldn'tresistmakingthisimpromptucall。I'msureasanoldfriendandneighbor，Cyrus，youwillpardonme。
　　Alicia，darling，comeandkisspapa。“
　　DarlingAliciaacceptedtheinvitationwitharustleofsilkandanecstaticsquealofdelight。DuringthisaffectingsceneAsaphwhisperedtoBaileythathe“cal'lated“Hemanhadhadahurry-updistresssignalfromSimpson；towhichsageobservationMr。Bangsrepliedwithavigorousnod，showingthatCaptainCy'sexamplehadhaditseffect，inthattheynolongerstoodinsuchaweoftheirrepresentativeatWashington。
　　HowevertrueAsaph'scalculationmighthavebeen，Mr。Atkinsmadenomentionofpolitics。Hewasurbanityitself。Hedrewuptothetable，partookoftheicecreamandcake，andgreetedhisfriendsandneighborswithcharmingbenignity。
　　“Wan'titsweetofhimtocome？”whisperedMissPhinneytoKeturah。
　　“Andhimsoniceandeverydayandsociable。AndwhenCap'nWhittaker'srunnin'againsthisfriend，asyoumightsay。“
　　Keturahrepliedwithadubiousshakeofthehead。
　　“IthinkCaptainCyrusisgoin'togetintotrouble，“shesaid。
　　“I'vepreachedtoBaileymore'nalittleaboutkeepin'clear，buthewon't。“
　　“Gamesint'otherroomnow，“orderedCaptainCy。ButMr。Atkinshelduphishand。
　　“Pardonme，justamoment，Cyrus，ifyouplease，“hesaid。“Ifeelthatonthishappyoccasion，itismydutyandpleasuretoproposeatoast。“Heheldhislemonadeglassaloft。“Permitme，“heproclaimed，towishmanyhappybirthdaysandlonglifetoMiss——I
　　begpardon，Cyrus，butwhatisyourlittlefriend'sname？”
　　“EmilyRichardsThayer，“repliedthecaptain，carriedawaybyenthusiasmandoffhisguardforonce。
　　“ToEm——“beganHeman。Thenhepausedandforthefirsttimeinhispubliclifeseemedatalossforwords。“What？”heasked，andhishandshook。“IfearIdidn'tcatchthename。“
　　“Nowonder，“laughedMr。Tidditt。“Cy'ssocrazyto-nighthe'dforgethisownname。Knowwhatyousaid，Cy？YousaidshewasEmilyRichardsTHAYER！Haw！haw！Sheain'taThayer，Heman；herlastname'sThomas。She'sEmilyRichardsThayer'sgranddaughterthough。HergranddadwasJohnThayer，overtoOrham。Goodland！
　　Iforgot。Well，whatofit，Cy？'Twouldhavetobeknownsometime。“
　　EveryonelookedatCaptainCythen。NooneobservedMr。Atkinsforthemoment。Whentheydidturntheirgazeuponthegreatmanhehadsunkbackinhischair，theglassoflemonadewasupsetupontheclothbeforehim，andhe，withaverywhiteface，wasstaringatEmilyRichardsThomas。
　　“What'sthematter，Heman？”askedthecaptainanxiously。“Ain'tsick，areyou？”
　　Thecongressmanstarted。
　　“Oh，no！”hesaidhurriedly。“Oh，no！butI'mafraidI'vesoiledyourcloth。Itwasawkwardofme。I——Ireally，Iapologize——I——“
　　Hewipedhisfacewithhishandkerchief。CaptainCylaughed。
　　“Oh，nevermindthetablecloth，“hesaid。“Ical'lateit'stoosoiledalreadytobehurtbyabath，evenalemonone。Well，you'veallheardthetoast。Fullglasses，now。Here'sTOyou，Bos'n！Drinkhearty，allhands，andgivetheshipagoodname。“
　　Iftheheartinesswithwhichtheydrankisacriterion，thegoodnameoftheshipwasestablished。Thentheassemblyadjournedtothesittingroomand——yes，eventhefrontparlor。Notsincethedayswhenthatsacredapartmenthadbeendesecratedbytheirreverentcityboarders，duringtheHowesregime，haditswallsechoedtosuchwhoopsandshoutsoflaughter。Thechildrenplayed“PostOffice“and“Copenhagen“and“Clapin，Clapout，“whilethegrownfolkslookedon。
　　“Ain'ttheyhavin'afinetime，Cap？”gushedMissPhinney。“Don'titmakeyouwishyouwasyoungagain？”
　　“Angie，“repliedCaptainCysolemnly，“don'ttemptme；don't！Iftheykeeponplayin'thatCopenhagenandyoustandrightalongsideofme，there'snotellin'what'llhappen。“
　　Angelinedeclaredthathewas“turrible，“butshefacedthethreateneddangernevertheless，andbravelyremainedwhereshewas。
　　Mr。Atkinswenthomeearlyintheevening，takingAliciawithhim。
　　Heexplainedthathislongrailroadjourneyhad——er——somewhatfatiguedhimand，thoughhehatedtoleavesucha——er——delightfulgathering，hereallyfeltthat，underthecircumstances，hisdeparturewouldbeforgiven。CaptainCyopenedthedoorforhimandstoodwatchingas，holdinghisdaughterbythehand，hemarchedmajesticallydownthepath。
　　“Hum！”musedthecaptainaloud。“Iguesshehasbeentravelin'
　　nights。Thoughtheoughttobeherequick，Ishouldn'twonder。Hedoeslooktired，that'safact，andkindofpale，seemedtome。“
　　“Well，there，now！”exclaimedMrs。Tripp，whowaslookingoverhisshoulder。“Didyouseethat？”
　　“No；whatwasit？”
　　“Why，whenhewenttoopenhisgate，oneofthemarborvitybusheshesetoutthisspringknockedhishatoff。Andheneverseemedtonotice，butwentrighton。If'Liciahadn'tpickeditup，thatnicenewhatwouldhavebeenlayin'thereyet。That'sthemostundignifiedthingeverIseeHemanAtkinsdo。HeMUSTbetiredout，poorman！”
　　CHAPTERX
　　ALETTERANDAVISITOR
　　“Whit，“askedAsaphnextday，“wan'tyousurprisedtoseeHemanlastnight？”
　　CaptainCynodded。Hewasoncemorebusywiththedollhouse，theconstructionofwhichhadprogressedslowlyoflate，owingtothedemandswhichthepartyandpoliticsmadeuponitsbuilder'stime。
　　“Yup，“hesaid，“Isartinlywas。Prettygoodsign，Ishouldn'twonder。LooksasiffriendTadhadfoundthetidesettin'toostrongagainsthimandhadwhistledforatug。Allright；themorescaredtheothersideget，thebetterforus。“
　　“ButwhatintheworldmadeHemancomeoverandhavesupper？Heneversomuchassteppedfootinthehouseafore，didhe？That'sthebiggestconundrumofall。“
　　“Well，IguessI'vegottheanswer。StrikesmethatHeman'ssociablenessisthebestsignyet。Heman'saslickarticle，andwhenheseesthere'sdangeroflosin'thefrostin'onthecakehetakescaretoscrapetheburntpartoffthebottom。Imaybeschoolcommitteemanaftertownmeetin'。He'llmoveallcreationtostopme，ofcourse——inhisquiet，round-the-cornerway——but，ifI
　　dowinout，hewantstobeinapositiontotakemeonesideandtellmethathe'sgladofit；hefeltallalongIwastherightfellerforthejob，andifthere'sanythinghecandotomakethingseasierformejustcallonhim。That'sthewayIsizeitup，anyhow。“
　　“Cy，Ineverseeanybodylikeyou。You'redeadsetagainstHeman，andhavebeenrightalong。Andhe'sneverdoneanythingtoyou，fur'sIsee。He'sgivenalottothetown，andhe'salwaysbeenthemostlooked-up-tomanwe'vegot。JoeDimickandtwoorthreemorechronicgrowlshavebeentheonlyonestoslingouthintsagainsthim，tillyoucome。CourseI'mworkingforyou，toothandnail，andIwillsaythatyouseemtobegettin'thevotessomewayorother。ButifHemanSHOULDsteprightoutandsay：'Fellercitizens，I'mbehindTadSimpsoninthisfight，andasafavortomeand'causeIthinkit'srightandbest，Iwant'LonzoSnowelected'——well，_I_don'tbelieveyou'dhavemore'nonejackandatenspottocountforgame。“
　　“Probablynot，Ase；Ipresumelikelynot。ButyoutakeadayoffsometimeandseeifyoucanrememberthatHemanEVERsteppedrightoutandsaidthings。Blameit！that'sjustit。AsforWHYherilesmeupandmakesmestubbornasabalkymule，Idon'tknowexactly。AllI'msureisthathedoes。Maybeit's'causeIdon'tlikethewayhewearshiswhiskers。Maybeit'sbecausehe'ssotop-loftyandcondescendin'。Afellercanwhistletomeandsay：
　　'Comeon，Bill，'andI'lltrotathisheelsallday。Butwhenhepatsmeontheheadandsays：'Therethere！nicedoggie。Gounderthebedandlaydown，'mybackbristlesupandIcommencetogrowlrightoff。There'sconsider'bleWhittakerinme，asI'vetoldyoubefore。“
　　Thetownclerkponderedoverthisratherunsatisfactorylineofreasoningforsomeminutes。Hiscompanionfittedawoodenchimneyonthedollhouse，founditatrifleoutofplumb，andproceededtowhittleashavingofftheloweredge。ThenAsaphsighed，asonewhogivesupaperplexingriddle，puthishandinhispocket，andproducedabundleofpapers。
　　“Imadeoutalistoffellersdowntotheeast'ardthatI'mgoin'
　　toseethisafternoon，“hesaid。“Someof'emIguess'llvoteforyou，butmostof'emareprettysartin'for'Lonzo。However，I——
　　Whereisthatlist？Ihaditsomewhere's。And——well，Iswan！I
　　comeprettynearforgettin'itmyself。I'm'mostasbadasBailey。“
　　Fromthebundleofpapersheproducedacrumpledenvelope。
　　“ThatBailey，“heobserved，“mustbeinlove，Ical'late，thoughI
　　don'tknowwhowith。Ketury，Is'pose，'cordin'tolawandorder，but——Well，anyhow，he'sgettin'moreabsent-mindedallthetime。
　　Here'saletterforyou，Cy，thathegotatthepost-officeaweekagoMonday。'Twasthenightofthechurchsociable，andhehadonhisSundaycutaway，andheain'twornitsence，tillthepartyyesterday。Whenhetookoffthecoat，goin'tobed，theletterfelloutofit。Iguesshewasashamedtofetchitroundhimself，soheaskedmetodoit。Betterlatethannever，hey？Here'sthatlistatlast。“
　　Heproducedthelistandhandedittothecaptainforinspection。
　　Thelatterlookeditover，madeafewcommentsandsuggestions，andtoldhisfriendtoheaveaheadandlandasmanyofthelistedaspossible。ThisMr。Tiddittpromisedtodo，and，replacingthepapersinhispocket，startedforthegate。
　　“Oh！Say，Ase！”
　　Thetownclerk，hishandonthegatelatch，turned。
　　“Well，whatisit？”heasked。“Don'tkeepmenolonger'nyoucanhelp。Igotworktodo，Ihave。“
　　“Allright，Iwon'tstopyou。Onlyfallin'inloveiskindofepidemicdownattheboardin'house，Iguess。Whoisitthat'sgotyouintow——Matildy？”
　　“Whatareyoutalkin'about？Didn'tItellyoutoquitnamin'mewithMatildyTripp？Ilikeajokeaswellasmostfolks，butwhenit'sworeintothegroundI——“
　　“Sho，sho！Don'tgetmad。It'syourownfault。Yousaidthatabsent-mindednesswasalovesymptom，soIjustgottothinkin'，that'sall。ThatletterthatBaileyforgot——youhaven'tgivenittomeyet。“
　　Asaphturnedredandhastilysnatchedthepapersfromhispocket。
　　Hestrodebacktothedoorofthewoodshed，handedhisfriendthecrumpledenvelope，andstalkedoffwithoutanotherword。Thecaptainchuckled，laidtheletteronthebenchbesidehimandwentonwithhiswork。Itwasperhapstenminuteslaterwhen，happeningtoglanceatthepostmarkontheenvelope，hesawthatitwas“Concord，N。H。“
　　Asaph'svote-gatheringtrip“totheeast'ard“madeafulldayforhim。Hereturnedtotheperfectboardinghousejustatsuppertime。DuringthemealherealizedthatMr。Bangsseemedtobetryingtoattracthisattention。Wheneverheglancedinthatgentleman'sdirectionhisglancewasmetbywinksandmystifyingshakesofthehead。Losingpatienceatlast，hedemandedtoknowwhatwasthematter。
　　“Wanttosaysomethin'tome，doyou？”heinquiredbriskly。“Ifyoudo，outwithit！Don'tsetthereworkin'yourfaceasif'twaswoundup，likeaclockworkimage。“
　　ThisremarkhadtheeffectofturningalltheotherfacestowardBailey's。Hewasverymuchupset。
　　“No，no！”hestammered。“No，no！Idon'twantyoufornothin'。
　　WasImakin'myfacego？I——Ididn'tknowit。I'vebeenwashin'
　　carriagesandcleanin'upthebarnalldayandIcal'lateI'veoverdone。I'mgettin'old，andhardwork'slikelytobringonshakin'palsytooldfolks。“
　　Hiswifetartlyobservedthat，ifWORKwasthecauseofit，sheguessedhewassafefrompalsyforquiteaspellyet。Atanyrate，amarkedrecoverysetinandhesignalednomoreduringthemeal。
　　Butwhenitwasover，andhistaskasdish-wipercompleted，hehurriedoutofdoorsandfoundMr。Tidditt，shiveringintheNovemberwind，onthefrontporch。
　　“Nowwhatisit？”askedAsaphsharply。“Iknowthere'ssomethin'
　　andI'vefrozetodeathbysectionswaitin'tohearit。“
　　“HaveyouseenCy？”whisperedBailey，glancingfearfullyoverhisshoulderatthelightedwindowsofthehouse。
　　“No，notsencemornin'。Why？”
　　“Well，there'ssomethin'thematterwithhim。Somethin'serious。
　　Iwasswabbin'decksinthebarnabouteleveno'clock，whenhecomepostin'in，whiteandshaky，andsonervoushecouldn'tstandstill。Lookedasifhehadhadastrokealmost。I——“
　　“Godfreyscissors！Youdon'ts'poseHeman'scomin'backhasknockedouthischancesforthecommittee，doyou？”
　　“No，sir-ee！'twan'tthat。Cy'sanxioustobeelectedandall，butyouknowhispoliticsaremoreofajokewithhimthananythingelse。AndanyrapHemanorTadcouldgivehimwouldonlymakehimfightharder。Andhewouldn'ttalkpoliticsatall；didn'tseemtogiveadurnabout'em，onewayort'other。No，'twassomethin'
　　aboutthatletter，theoneIforgotsolong。HewantedtoknowwhyintimeIhadn'tgivenittohimwhenitfustcome。Hewasrealuglyaboutit，forhim，andkeptpacin'upanddownthebarnfloorandlayin'intome，tillIbeguntothinkhewascrazy。Iguessheseemyfeelin'swerehurt，'cause，justaforeheleft，heheldouthishandandsaidImustn'tmindhistalk；he'dbeenknockedonhisbeamends，hesaid，andwan'treallyresponsible。“
　　“Wouldn'thesaywhathadknockedhim？”
　　“No，couldn'tgetnothin'outofhim。Andwhenhequithewentofftowardhome，slappin'hisfiststogetherandactin'asifhedidn'tseetheroadacrosshisbows。Now，youknowhowcoolandeasygoin'Whitgenerallyis。Iswantoman，Ase！hemademesosorryforhimIdidn'tknowwhattodo。“
　　“Ain'tyoubeenuptoseehimsence？”
　　“No，Keturywassotonhavin'thebarncleaned，andshestoodovermewitharope'send，asyoumightsay。Icouldn'tgetawayaminute，thoughImadeupmore'nadozenerrandsatSimmons'sandthelikeofthat。YouholdontillIsneakintotheentryandgetmycapandwe'llputfortherenow。Iwon'tbebutajiffy。I'mworried。“
　　TheyenteredtheyardoftheCyWhittakerplacetogetherandapproachedthesidedoor。AstheystoodonthestepsAsaphtouchedhischumonthearmandpointedtothewindowbesidethem。Theshadewashalfdrawnandbeneathittheyhadaclearviewoftheinteriorofthesittingroom。CaptainCywasintherockerbeforethestove，holdingBos'ninhisarms。Thechildwassoundasleep，heryellowbraidhangingoverthecaptain'sbroadshoulder。Hewasgazingdownintoherfacewithalookwhichwassofullofyearningandlovethatitbroughtachokeintothethroatsofthepairwhosawit。
　　Theyenteredthediningroom。Thecaptainsprangfromhischairand，stillholdingthelittlegirlcloseagainsthisbreast，metthematthesitting-roomdoor。Whenhesawwhothevisitorswere，hecaughthisbreath，almostwithasob，andseemedrelieved。
　　“S-s-h-h！”hewhisperedwarningly。“She'sasleep。“
　　ThemembersoftheBoardofStrategynoddedunderstandinglyandsatdownuponthesofa。CaptainCytiptoedtothebedroom，turnedbackthebedclotheswithonehandandlaidBos'ndown。Theysawhimtuckhercarefullyinandthenstoopandkissher。Hereturnedtothesittingroomandclosedthedoorbehindhim。
　　“Weseeshewasasleepaforewecomein，“explainedAsaph。“Weseeyouandherthroughthewindow。“
　　Thecaptainlookedhurriedlyatthewindowindicated。Thenhesteppedoverandpulledtheshadedowntothesill，doingthesamewiththecurtainsoftheothertwowindows。
　　“What'sthematter？”inquiredBailey，tryingtobefacetious。
　　“'Fraidof'Lonzo'scrowdspyin'onus？”
　　CaptainCydidnotreply。Hedidnotevensitdown，butremainedstanding，hisbacktothestove。
　　“Well？”heaskedshortly。“Didyoufellerswanttoseemeforanything'special？”
　　“Wantedtoseewhathadstruckyoualltoonce，“repliedMr。Tidditt。
　　“Baileysaysyouscaredhimhalftodeaththisforenoon。Andyoulooknowasifsomebody'sghosthadrizandhollered'Boo！'atyou。
　　Forthelandsakes，Whit，whatISit？”
　　Thecaptaindrewhishandacrosshisforehead。
　　“Ghost？”herepeatedabsently。“No，Ihaven'tSEENaghost。
　　There！there！don'tmindme。Iain'trealwellto-day，Iguess。“
　　Hesmiledcrookedly。
　　“Don'tyouwanttohearaboutmyvote-grabbin'cruise？”askedTidditt。“Iwasflatterin'myselfyou'dbetickledtohearI'ddonesowell。Why，evenMarcellusParkersayshemayvoteforyou——ifhemakesuphismindthatway。“
　　Marcelluswasanext-doorneighborofAlonzoSnow's。ButCaptainCydidn'tseemtocare。
　　“Hey？”hemurmured。“Yes。Well？”
　　“WELL！Isthatallyou'vegottosay？Areyoureallysick，Cy？
　　OrisBos'nsick？”
　　“No！”wastheanswer，almostfierceinitsutterance。“Sheisn'tsick。Don'tbeafool。“
　　“What'sfoolishaboutthat？Ididn'tknowbutshemightbe。
　　There'smumpsintownand——“
　　“She'sallright；soshutup，willyou！There，Ase！”headded。
　　“I'mthefoolmyself。Don'tmindmybarkin'；Idon'tmeanit。I
　　amaboutsick，Ical'late。Bebetterto-morrer，maybe。“
　　“What'sgotintoyou？WasthatletterofBailey's——“
　　“Hush！”Thecaptainhelduphishand。“IthoughtIheardateam。“
　　“Depotwagon，mostlikely，“saidBailey。“Abouttimeforit！
　　Humph！seemstobestoppin'，don'tit？Wasyouexpectin'anybody？