Heheardthedepotwagonrattlebyand，peeringfromthewindow，sawthat，exceptforMr。Lumley，itwasempty。Notevenasummerboarderhadcometobrightenourwaysandlawnswithrecklessraimentandthenewestslang。Summerboardingseasonwasalmostovernow。Bayportwouldsoonbeasdullasdishwater。AndthecaptainadmittedtohimselfthatitWASdull。HehadhalfamindtotakeaflyingtriptoBoston，maketheroundofthewharves，andseeifanyoftheoldshipownersandshipcaptainswhomhehadonceknownwerestillaliveandinharness。
　　“JINGLE！Jingle！JINGLE！Jingle！Jingle！Jing！Jing！Jing！”
　　CaptainCybouncedinhischair。Thatwasthefront-doorbell。
　　TheFRONT-doorbell！Whoonearth，or，rather，whoinBayport，wouldcometotheFRONTdoor？
　　Hehurriedthroughthedimgrandeurofthebestparlorandenteredthelittledarkfronthall。Thebellwasstillswingingattheendofitscoilofwire。Thedustshakenfromitstillhungintheair。Thecaptainunboltedandunlockedthebigfrontdoor。
　　Agirlwasstandingonthestepsbetweenthelinesofboxhedge——alittlegirlunderabig“grown-up“umbrella。Thewetdrippedfromtheumbrellatopandfromthehemofthelittlegirl'sdress。
　　CaptainCystaredhardathisvisitor；heknewmostofthechildreninBayport，buthedidn'tknowthisone。Obviouslyshewasastranger。Portuguesechildrenfrom“upHarnissway“sometimescalledtopeddlehuckleberries，butthischildwasno“Portugee。“
　　“Hello！”exclaimedthecaptainwonderingly。
　　“Didyouringthebell？”
　　“Yes，sir，“repliedthegirl。
　　“Humph！Did，hey？Why？”
　　“Why？Why，Ithought——Isn'titatrulybell？Didn'titoughttoring？Isanybodysickordead？Thereisn'tanycrape。“
　　“Dead？Crape？”CaptainCygasped。“Whatintheworldputthatinyourhead？”
　　“Well，Ididn'tknowbutmaybethatwaswhyyouthoughtIhadn'toughttohaverungit。Whenmammawassicktheydidn'tletpeopleringourbell。Andwhenshediedtheytieditupwithcrape。“
　　“Did，hey？Hum！”Thecaptainscratchedhischinandgazedatthesmallfigurebeforehim。Itwasaself-poised，matter-of-factfigureforsuchalittleone，and，outthereintherainunderthetentroofoftheumbrella，itwasratherpitiful。
　　“Please，sir，“saidthechild，“areyouCaptainCyrusWhittaker？”
　　“Yup！That'sme。You'veguesseditthefirsttime。“
　　“Yes，sir。I'vegotaletterforyou。It'spinnedinsidemydress。IfyoucouldholdthisumbrellamaybeIcouldgetitout。“
　　Sheextendedthebigumbrellaatarm'slength，holdingitwithbothhands。CaptainCywokeup。
　　“Goodland！”heexclaimed，“whatamIthinkin'of？You'resoakin'
　　wetthrough，ain'tyou？”
　　“IguessI'mprettywet。It'salongwaysfromthedepot，andI
　　triedtocomeacrossthefields，becauseaboysaiditwasnearer，andthebusheswere——“
　　“AcrosstheFIELDS？Haveyouwalkedallthewayfromthedepot？”
　　“Yes，sir。Themansaiditwasaquartertoride，andauntiesaidImustbecarefulofmymoneybecause——“
　　“Bythebigdipper！Comein！Comeinoutofthatthisminute！”
　　Hesprangdownthesteps，furledtheumbrella，seizedherbythearmandledherintothehouse，throughtheparlorandintothesittingroom，wherethefirecrackledinvitingly。Hecouldfeelthatthedresssleeveunderhishandwaswetthrough，andthewornbootsanddarnedstockingshecouldseeweresoakedlikewise。
　　“There！”hecried。“Setdowninthatchair。Putyourfeetuponthath'ath。Sakesalive！Yourfolksoughttoknowbetterthantoletyoustiroutthisweather，letalonewalkin'amile——andnorubbers！Themshoesoughttocomeoffthisminute，Is'pose。Take'emoff。Youcandryyourstockingsbetterthatway。Offwith'em！”
　　“Yes，sir，“saidthechild，stoopingtounbuttontheshoes。Herwetfingerswereblue。Itcanbecoldinourvillage，eveninearlySeptember，whenthereisaneasterlystorm。Unbuttoningtheshoeswasslowwork。
　　“Here，letmehelpyou！”commandedthecaptain，gettingdownononekneeandtakingafootinhislap。“Tut！tut！tut！you'rewet！
　　BeensometimesenceIfussedwithbuttonboots；laceorlong-
　　leggedcowhidescomehandier。Neverworecowhides，didyou？”
　　“No，sir。“
　　“Is'posenot。IusedtowhenIwaslittle。RememberthefirstpairIhad。Coppertoeson'em——whew！Thecopperwasblackedoverwhentheycomeoutofthestoreandthatwouldn'tdo，soweusedtokickastonewalltilltheybrightenedup。There！thereshecomes。
　　Humph！stockin'ssoaked，too。WishIhadsomedryonestolendyou。Mightgiveyouapairofmine，butthey'dbetooscantforeandaftandtoobroadinthebeam，Ical'late。Humph！andyourtop-riggin'saswetasyourhull。Beenonyourbeamends，haveyou？”
　　“Idon'tknow，sir。Ifelldowninthebushescomingacross。
　　Therewerevinesandtheytrippedmeup。Andtheumbrellawassoheavythat——“
　　“Yes，Icouldseerightoffyouwascarryin'toomuchcanvas。NowtakeoffyourbunnitandI'llgetacoatofminetowrapyouupin。“
　　Hewentintohisbedroomandreturnedwithaheavy“reefer“jacket。
　　Orderinghiscallertostandupheslippedherarmsintothesleevesandturnedthecollarupaboutherneck。Herbraided“pigtail“ofyellowhairstuckoutoverthecollarandhungdownherbackinafunnyway。Thecoatsleevesreachedalmosttoherkneesandthecoatitselfenvelopedherlikeabedquilt。
　　“There！”saidCaptainCyapprovingly。“Nowyoulookmoreasifyouwasunderastormrig。Setdownandtoastyourtoes。Where'sthatletteryousaidyouhad？”
　　“It'sinsidehere。Idon'tknow'sIcangetatit；thesesleevesaresolong。“
　　“Reef'em。Turn'emup。Letmeshowyou。That'sbetter！Hum！
　　Soyoucomefromthedepot，hey？Liveupthatway？”
　　“No，sir！IusedtoliveinConcord，but——“
　　“Concord？CONCORD？Concordwhere？”
　　“Concord，NewHampshire。Icameonthecars。AuntieknewamanwhowasgoingtoBoston，andhesaidhe'dtakecareofmeasfarasthatandthenputmeonthetraintocomedownhere。Istoppedathisfolks'houseinCharlestownlastnight，andthismorningwegotupearlyandheboughtmeaticketandstartedmeforhere。Ihadaboxwithmythingsinit，butitwassoheavyIcouldn'tcarryit，soIleftitupatthedepot。Themantheresaiditwouldbeallrightandyoucouldsendforitwhen——“
　　“IcouldSENDforit？_I_could？Whatintheworld——Say，child，you'vemadeamistakeinyourbearin's。'Taintmeyouwanttosee，it'ssomeofyourfolks，relations，mostlikely。Tellmewhotheyare；maybeIknow'em。“
　　Thegirlsatuprightinthebigchair。Herdarkeyesopenedwideandherchinquivered。
　　“Ain'tyouCaptainCyrusWhittaker？”shedemanded。“Yousaidyouwas。“
　　“Yes，yes，Iam。I'mCyWhittaker，butwhat——“
　　“Well，auntietoldme——“
　　“Auntie！Auntiewho？”
　　“AuntieOliver。Sheisn'treallymyauntie，butmammaandmelivedinherhouseforeversolongandso——“
　　“Wait！wait！wait！I'mhulldowninthefog。Thisisgettin'toothickforME。Yourauntie'sname'sOliverandyoulivedinConcord，NewHampshire。For——forthundersakes，what'sYOURname？”
　　“EmilyRichardsThomas。“
　　“Em——Emily——Richards——Thomas“
　　“Yes，sir。“
　　“EmilyRichardsThomas！Whatwasyourma'sname？”
　　“MammawasMrs。Thomas。HerfrontnamewasMary。She'sdead。
　　Don'tyouwanttoseeyourletter？I'vegotitnow。“
　　Sheliftedoneoftheflappingcoatsleevesandextendedacrumpled，dampenvelope。CaptainCytookitinadazedfashionanddrewalongbreath。Thenhetoreopentheenvelopeandreadthefollowing：
　　DEARCAPTAINWHITTAKER：
　　ThebearerofthisisEmilyRichardsThomas。Sheisseven，goingoneight，butoldforheryears。HermotherwasMaryThomasthatusedtobeMaryThayer。Itwasheryouwrotetoaboutkeepinghouseforyou，butshehadbeendeadafortnightbeforeyourlettercome。Shehadbronchialpneumoniaanditcarriedheroff，havingalwaysbeendelicateandwithmoretroublestobearthanshecouldstand，poorthing。Sinceherhusband，whoIsaywasascampevenifheisdead，leftherandthebaby，shehastookroomswithmeanddonesewingandsuch。WhenshepassedawayIwrotetoSethHowes，arelationofhersoutWest，and，sofarasIknow，theonlyoneshehad。ItoldtheHowesmanthatMaryhadgoneandEmmiewasleft。Wouldtheytakeher？Iwrote。AndSeth'swifewrotetheycouldn't，beingpoorerthanpovertythemselves。IwasafraidshewouldhavetogotoaHome，butwhenyourlettercameIwrotetheHowesesagain。AndMrs。Howeswrotebackthatyouwasrich，andasortoffar-offrelationofMary's，andprobablyyouwouldbegladtotakethechildtobringup。SaidthatshehadsomecorrespondencewithyouaboutMarybefore。SoIsendEmmietoyou。Somebody'sgottotakecareofherandIcan'taffordit，thoughIwouldifI
　　could，forshe'sarealnicechildandsomelikehermother。Idohopeshecanstaywithyou。Itseemsashametosendhertotheorphanasylum。Isendalongwhatclothesshe'sgot，whichain'tmany。
　　Respectfullyyours，SARAHOLIVER。
　　CaptainCyreadtheletterthrough。Thenhewipedhisforehead。
　　“Well！”hemuttered。“WELL！Ineverinmylife！I——Ineverdid！
　　Ofall——“
　　EmilyRichardsThomaslookedupfromthedepthsofthecoatcollar。
　　“Don'tyouthink，“shesaid，“thatyouhadbettersendtothedepotformybox？IcangetdrySOMEthisway，butmammaalwaysmademechangemyclothesassoonasIcould。SheusedtobeafraidI'dgetcold。“
　　CHAPTERVI
　　ICICLESANDDUST
　　CaptainCydidnotreplytotherequestforthebox。Itisdoubtfulifheevenheardit。Mrs。Oliver'sastonishingletterhad，asheafterwardssaid，lefthim“highanddrywithnotuginsight。“MaryThomaswasdead，andherdaughter，herDAUGHTER！ofwhoseveryexistencehehadbeenignorant，hadsuddenlyappearedfromnowhereandbeendroppedathisdoor，likeanout-of-seasonMaybasket，accompaniedbythemodestsuggestionthatheassumeresponsibilityforherthereafter。Nowonderthecaptainwipedhisforeheadinutterbewilderment。
　　“Don'tyouthinkyou'dbettersendforthebox？”repeatedthechild，shiveringalittleunderthebigcoat。
　　“Hey？Whatsay？Nevermind，though。Justkeepquietforaspell，won'tyou。Iwanttoletthissoakin。Bythebigdipper！OfallthesolidbrasscheekthateverIrunacross，thisbeatsthewholecargo！AndBetsyHowesneverhinted！'Probablyyouwouldbegladtotake——'BeGLAD！Why，blasttheirmiserable，stingy——Whatdotheytakemefor？I'LLshow'em！Indianaain'tsofurthatI
　　can't——Hey？Didyousayanything，sis？”
　　Thegirlhadshiveredagain。“No，sir，“shereplied。“Itwasmyteeth，Iguess。Theykindofrattled。“
　　“What？Youain'tcold，areyou？Withallthatroundyouandinfrontofthatfire？”
　　“No，sir，Iguessnot。Onlymybackfeelssortoffunny，asifsomebodykeptdroppingiciclesdownit。ThosebushesandvinesweresowetthatwhenItumbleddown'twasmostlikebeinginapond。“
　　“Sho！sho！Thatwon'tdo。Can'thaveyoulaiduponmyhands。
　　Thatwouldbeworsethan——Humph！Tut，tut！Somethin'oughttobedone，andI'mblessedifIknowwhat。Andnotawomanroundtheplace——noteventhatDebby。Say，lookhere，what'syourname——er——
　　Emmie，hadn'tIbettergetthedoctor？”
　　Thechildlookedfrightened。
　　“Why？”shecried，herbigeyesopening。“I'mnotsick，amI？”
　　“Sick？No，no！Coursenot，coursenot。Whatwouldyouwanttobesickfor？Butyououghttogetwarmanddryrightoff，Is'pose，andyourdudsarealluptothedepot。Say，whatdoes——whatdidyourmausedtodowhenyoufelt——er——themiciclesandthings？”
　　“Shechangedmyclothesandrubbedme。And，ifIwasVERYwetsheputmetobedsometimes。“
　　“Bed？Sure！why，yes，indeed。Bed'sagoodplacetokeepofficicles。There'smybedroomrightinthere。Youcouldturninjustaswellasnot。Bunkain'tmadeyet，butIcanshakeitupinnotime。Say——er——er——youcanundressyourself，can'tyou？”
　　“Oh，yes，sir！CourseIcan！I'mmosteight。“
　　“Sureyouare！Don'tactamitebabyish。Allright，yousetstilltillIshakeupthatbunk。“
　　Heenteredthechamber，hisown，openingfromthesittingroom，andproceeded，literally，to“shakeup“thebed。Itwasnotalengthyprocessand，whenitwascompleted，hereturnedtofindhisvisitoralreadydivestedofthecoatandstandingbeforethestove。
　　“Iguessperhapsyou'llhavetohelpundomebehind，“observedtheyounglady。“ThisismybestdressandIcan'treachthebuttonsinthemiddleoftheback。“
　　CaptainCyscratchedhishead。Thenheclumsilyunbuttonedthewetwaist，glancingrathersheepishlyatthewindowtoseeifanyonewascoming。
　　“Sothisisyourbestdress，hey？”heasked，tocoverhisconfusion。
　　Itwasobviouslynotverynew，foritwasneatlymendedinoneortwoplaces。
　　“Yes，sir。“
　　“So。Where'dyoubuyit——uptoConcord？”
　　“No，sir。Mammamadeit，ayearago。“
　　Therewasalittlechokeinthechild'svoice。Thecaptainwasmightilytakenback。
　　“Hum！Yes，yes，“hemutteredhurriedly。“Well，thereyouare。
　　Nowyoucangetalong，can'tyou？”
　　“Yes，sir。ShallIgointhatroom？”
　　“Trotrightin。Youmight——er——maybeyoumightsingoutwhenyou'retuckedup。I——I'llwanttoknowifyou'regotbedclothesenough。“
　　Emilydisappearedinthebedroom。Thedoorclosed。CaptainCy，hishandsinhispockets，walkedupanddownthelengthofthesittingroom。Theexpressiononhisfacewasaqueerone。
　　“Ihaven'tgotanynightgown，“calledavoicefromtheotherroom。
　　Thecaptaingasped。
　　“Goodland！soyouain't，“heexclaimed。“Whatintheworld——
　　Humph！Iwonder——“
　　Hewenttothelowerdrawerofatall“highboy“and，fromthetumbledmassofapparelthereintookoneofhisownnightgarments。
　　“Here'sone，“hesaid，comingbackwithitinhishand。“Iguessyou'llhavetomakethisdofornow。It'llfityouenoughforthreetimestoonce，butit'sallI'vegot。“
　　Asmallhandreached'roundtheedgeofthedoorandthenightshirtdisappeared。CaptainCychuckledandresumedhispacing。
　　“I'mtuckedup，“calledMissThomas。Thecaptainenteredandfoundherinbed，thepatchworkpointsanddiamondsofthe“RisingSun“
　　quiltcoveringhertothechinandherheaddentingtheuppermostofthetwobigpillows。CaptainCylikedto“sleephigh。“
　　“Gotenoughoveryou？”heasked。
　　“Yes，sir，thankyou。“
　　“That'sgood。I'lltakeyourtogsoutanddry'eminthekitchen。
　　Don'tbescared；I'llberightback。“
　　Inthekitchenhesortedthewetgarmentsandhungthemaboutthecookstove。Itwasastrangeoccupationforhimandheshookhisheadwhimsicallyashecompletedit。Thenhetookaflatiron，oneofMrs。Beasley'spurchases，fromtheshelfintheclosetandputitintheoventoheat。Soonafterwardshereturnedtothebedroom，bearingtheironwrappedinadishtowel。
　　“MymaalwaysusedtoputahotflattomyfeetwhenIwasayoungoneandgotchilled，“heexplained。“Iain'tusedoneforsometime，butIguessit'sagoodreceipt。Howdoyoufeelnow？Anymoreicicles？”
　　“No，sir。I'meversowarm。Isn'tthisanicebed？”
　　“Thinkso，doyou？Gladofit。Well，now，I'mgoin'toleaveyouinitwhileIstepdownstreetandseeabouthavin'yourboxsentfor。I'llbebackinashake。IfanybodycomestothedoorwhileI'mgonedon'tyouworry；let'emgoawayagain。“
　　Heputonhishatandleftthehouse，walkingrapidly，hisheaddownandhishandsinhispockets。Attimeshewouldpauseinhiswalk，whistle，shakehishead，andgoononcemore。JosiahDimickmethim，andhisanswerstoJosiah'squestionsweresovagueandirrelevantthatCaptainDimickwaspuzzled，andlaterexpressedtheopinionthat“Whit'scookin'mustbeprettybad；actedtomeasifhehaddyspepsyofthebrain。“
　　CaptainCystoppedatMr。Lumley'sresidencetoleaveanorderforthedeliveryofthebox。ThenhedriftedintoSimmons'sandaccostedAlpheusSmalley。
　　“Al，“hesaid，“what'sgoodforacold？”
　　“Why？”askedMr。Smalley，intrueYankeefashion。“Yougotone？”
　　“Hey？Oh，yes！Yes，I'vegotone。“Bywayofproofhecougheduntilthelampchimneysrattledontheshelf。
　　“Judas！Ishouldthinkyouhad！Well，there's'PineBarkOil'and'SassafrasElixir'andtwokindsofsass'p'rilla——that'sgoodformosteverything——and——Isyourthroatsore？”
　　“Hey？Yes，Iguessso。“
　　“Don'tyouKNOW？Ifyou'vegotsorethroatthereain'tnothin'
　　better'n'ArabianBalsam。'Butwhatintimeareyoudoin'outinthisdrizzlewithacoldandnoumbrella？Doyouwantto——“
　　“Nevermindmyumbrella。Ileftitinthechurchentryt'otherSundayandsomebodygotoutaforeIdid。This'ArabianBalsam'——
　　seemstomeIremembermyma'susin'thatonme。Wetaragwithit，don'tyou，andtieitroundyourneck？”
　　“Yup。Besureanduseaflannelrag，andredflannelifyou'vegotit；thatactsquicker'ntheotherkinds。Fifteencentbottle？”
　　“Iguessso。Might'swellgivemesomesass'p'rilla，whileyou'reaboutit；alwayshandytohaveinthehouse。And——er——say，isthatcannedsoupyou'vegotuponthatshelf？”
　　Theastonishedclerkadmittedthatitwas。
　　“Well，givemeacanofthechickenkind。“
　　Mr。Smalley，standingonachairtoreachtheshelfwherethesoupwaskept，shookhishead。
　　“Now，that'stoobad，Cap'n，“hesaid，“butwe'realloutofchickenjustnow。Factis，weain'tgotnothin'buttermatterandbeefbroth。Yes，andIdeclareifthetermatterain'tallgone。“
　　“Humph！thenIguessI'lltakethebeef。Needn'tmindwrappin'itup。Solong。“
　　Hedepartedbearinghispurchases。WhenMr。Simmons，proprietorofthestore，returned，Alpheustoldhimthathe“cal'lated“CaptainCyWhittakerwaspreparingto“gointoadecline，orsomethin'。“
　　“Anyhow，“saidAlpheus，“heboughtsass'p'rillaand'ArabianBalsam，'andIsoldhimacanofthatbeefsoupyouboughtthreeyearagolastsummer，whenAliciaAtkinshadthechickenpox。“
　　Thecaptainenteredthehousequietlyandtiptoedtothedoorofthebedroom。Emilywasasleep，andthesightofthechildishheaduponthepillowgavehimastartashepeepedinatit。Itlookedsonatural，almostasifitbelongedthere。Ithadbeeninabedlikethatandinthatveryroomthathehadsleptwhenaboy。
　　Gabe，brimfulofcuriosity，broughttheboxalittlelater。Hiscuriositywasungratified，CaptainCyrusexplainingthatitwasapackagehehadbeenexpecting。Thecaptaintooktheboxtothebedroom，and，findingthechildstillasleep，depositeditonthefloorandtiptoedoutagain。Hewenttothekitchen，pokedupthefire，andsetaboutgettingdinner。
　　HewaswarmingthebeefbrothinasaucepanonthestovewhenEmilyappeared。Shewasdressedindryclothesfromtheboxandseemedtobefeelingasgoodasnew。
　　“Hello！”exclaimedCaptainCy。“You'reondeckagain，hey？How'sicicles？”
　　“Allgone，“wasthereply。“Doyoudoyourownwork？Can'tI
　　help？Icansetthetable。IusedtoforMrs。Oliver。“
　　Thecaptainprotestedthathecoulddoithimselfjustaswell，butthegirlpersisting，heshowedherwherethedisheswerekept。
　　Fromthecornerofhiseyehewatchedherassheunfoldedthetablecloth。
　　“Isthistheonlyoneyou'vegot？”sheinquired。“It'sawfuldirty。“
　　“Hum！Yes，Iain'ttendeduptomywashin'andironin'thewayI'doughtto。I'lllosemyjobifIdon'tlookout，hey？”
　　BeforetheysatdowntothemealCaptainCyinsistedthathisguesttakeatablespoonfulofthesarsaparillaanddecorateherthroatwithasectionofredflannelsoakedinthe'ArabianBalsam。'TheperfumeofthelatterwaspenetratingandmighthaveinterferedwithalesshealthyappetitethanthatofMissThomas。
　　“Havesomesoup？SomeIboughtpurposeforyou。Bestthinggoin'
　　forfolkswithicicles，“remarkedthecaptain，wavingtheironspoonhehadusedtostirthecontentsofthesaucepan。
　　“Yes，sir，thankyou。Butdon'tyouaskablessing？”
　　“Hey？”
　　“Ablessing，youknow。Sayingthatyou'rethankfulforthefoodnowsetbeforeus。“
　　“Hum！Why，totellyouthetruthI'vekindofneglectedthat，I'mafraid。Bein'thankfulforthegrubI'vehadlatelywasmosttoomuchofastrain，Ishouldn'twonder。“
　　“Iknowtheonemammausedtosay。ShallIaskitforyou？”
　　“Sho！Iguessso，ifyouwantto。“
　　Thegirlbentherheadandrepeatedashortgrace。CaptainCywatchedhercuriously。
　　“Now，I'llhavesomesoup，please，“observedEmily。“I'mawfulhungry。Ihadbreakfastatfiveo'clockthismorningandwedidn'thaveachancetoeatmuch。“
　　Agoodmanytimesthatdaythecaptaincaughthimselfwonderingifhewasn'tdreaming。Thewholeaffairseemedtooridiculoustobeanactualexperience。Dinnerover，heandEmmieattendedtothedishes，hewashingandshewiping。Andevenatthisearlystageoftheiracquaintanceherdispositiontotakechargeofthingswasapparent。Shefoundfaultwiththedishtowels；theywerealmostasbadasthetablecloth，shesaid。ConsideringthatthesamesethadbeeninusesinceMrs。Beasley'sdeparture，thecriticismwasnotaltogetherbaseless。Buttheyoungladydidnotstopthere——
　　hercompanion'sskillasawasherwasquestioned。
　　“Excuseme，“shesaid，“butdon'tyouthinkthatplatehadbetterbedoneover？Iguessyoudidn'tseethatplaceinthecorner。
　　Perhapsyou'veforgotyourspecs。AuntieOlivercouldn'tseewellwithoutherspecs。“
　　CaptainCygrinnedandadmittedthatasecondwashingwouldn'thurttheplate。
　　“Iguessyourauntiewasoneoftheparticularkind，“hesaid。
　　“No，sir，'twasmamma。Shecouldn'tbeardirtythings。Auntieusedtosaythatmammahunteddustwithamagnifyingglass。Shedidn't，though；sheonlylikedtobeneat。Iguessdustdoesn'tworrymensomuchasitdoeswomen。“
　　“Why？”
　　“Oh，'causethere'ssomuchofithere；don'tyouthinkso？I'llhelpyoucleanupbyandby，ifyouwantto。“
　　“YOUwill？”
　　“Yes，sir。Iusedtodustsometimeswhenmammawasoutsewing。
　　AndonceIswept，butIdiditsohardthatauntiewouldn'tletmeanymore。Shesaid'twasliketryingtoblowoutamatchwithatornado。“
　　Lateronhefoundherstandinginthesittingroom，criticallyinspectingthemats，thefurniture，andthepicturesonthewalls。
　　Hestoodwatchingherforamomentandthenasked：
　　“Well，whatareyoulookin'for——moredust？'Twon'tbehardtofindit。'Dustthouartanduntodustthoushaltreturn。'EverytimeIgooutdoorandcomeinagainIrealizehowtruethatis。“
　　Emilyshookherhead。
　　“No，sir，“shesaid；“Iwasonlylookingatthingsandthinking。“
　　“Thinkin'，hey？Whatabout？oristhatasecret？”
　　“No，sir。IwasthinkingthatthisroomwasdifferentfromanyI'veeverseen。“
　　“Humph！Yes，Ipresumelikely'tis。Don'tlikeitverymuch，doyou？”
　　“Yes，sir，IthinkIdo。It'sgotagoodmanythingsinitthatI
　　neversawbefore，butIguessthey'repretty——afteryougetusedto'em。“
　　CaptainCylaughedaloud。“Afteryougetusedto'em，hey？”herepeated。
　　“Yes，sir。That'swhatmammasaidaboutAuntieOliver'snewbonnetthatshemadeherself。I——Iwasthinkingthatyoumustbepeculiar。“
　　“Peculiar？”
　　“Yes，sir。Ilikepeculiarpeople。I'mpeculiarmyself。AuntieusedtosayIwasthemostpeculiarchildsheeversaw。P'rapsthat'swhyIcametoyou。P'rapsGodmeantforpeculiaronestolivetogether。Don'tyouthinkmaybethatwasit？”
　　Andthecaptain，havingnoanswerready，saidnothing。
　　ThateveningwhenAsaphandBailey，comingfortheirusualcall，peepedinatthewindow，theywereastoundedbythetableauintheWhittakersittingroom。CaptainCywasseatedintherockingchairwhichhadbeenhisgrandfather's。Athisfeet，onthewalnutcricketwithahairclothtop，satalittlegirlturningovertheleavesofatatteredmagazine，aGodey'sLady'sBook。Apileofthesemagazineswasbesideheronthefloor。Thecaptainwassmilingandlookingoverhershoulder。Thecatwascurledupinanotherchair。Theroomlookedmorehomelikethanithadsinceitsownerreturnedtoit。
　　Thefriendsenteredwithoutknocking。CaptainCylookedup，sawthem，andappearedembarrassed。
　　“Hello，boys！”hesaid。“Gladtoseeyou。Comerightin。Clearin'
　　offfine，ain'tit？”
　　Mr。Tiddittrepliedabsentlythathewouldn'tbesurprisedifitwas。Bailey，hiseyesfixedupontheoccupantofthecricket，saidnothing。
　　“We——wedidn'tknowyouhadcompany，Whit，“saidAsaph。“WebeenuptoSimmons'sandAlpheussaidyouwasthinandpeakedandlookedsick。Saidyouboughtsass'p'rillaandallkindoftruck。Hewasafraidyouhadfeverandwasoutofyourhead，cruisinroundintherainwithnoumbrella。Thegangweren'ttalkin'ofnothin'else，someandBaileythoughtwe'dcomerightdown。“
　　“That'skindofyou，I'msure。Takeyourthingsoffandsetdown。
　　No，I'msorrytodisappointSmalleyandtherest，butI'mabletobeupand——er——makemyownbed，thankyou。SoAlpheusthoughtI
　　lookedthin，hey？Well，ifIhadtoliveonthatsouphesoldme，I'dbethinner'nIamnow。Youtellhimthatcannedhotwaterisallrightifyoulikeit，butitseemsashametoputmudinit。
　　Itonlychangesthecoloranddon'thelpthetaste。“
　　Mr。Bangs，whowasstillstaringatEmily，nowventuredaremark。
　　“Isthatarelationofyours，Cy？”heasked。
　　“That？Oh！Well，no，notexactly。AndyetIdon'tknowbutsheis。Fellers，thisisEmmieThomas。Can'tyoushakehands，Emmie？”
　　Thechildrose，laiddownthemagazine，whichwasopenatthecoloredpictureofagroupofladiesincrinolineandchignons，and，goingacrosstheroom，extendedahandtoMr。Tidditt。
　　“Howdoyoudo，sir？”shesaid。
　　“Why——er——howd'yedo？I'mprettysmart，thankyou。How'syourself？”
　　“I'mbetternow。Iguessthesass'parillawasgoodforme。“
　　“'Twan'tthesass'p'rilla，“observedthecaptain，withconviction。
　　“'Twasthe'ArabianBalsam。'Maalwayscuredmewithitandthere'snothin'finer。“
　　“Butwhatintime——“beganBailey。CaptainCyglancedatthechildandthenattheclock。
　　“Don'tyouthinkyou'dbetterturninnow，Emmie？”hesaidhastily，cuttingofftheremainderoftheBangsquery。“It'saftereight，andwhenIwaslittleIwasabedaforethat。“
　　Emilyobedientlyturned，gathereduptheLady'sBooksandreplacedtheminthecloset。Thenshewenttothediningroomandcamebackwithahandlamp。
　　“Goodnight，“shesaid，addressingthevisitors。Then，comingclosetothecaptain，sheputherfaceupforakiss。
　　“Goodnight，“shesaidtohim，adding，“Ilikeithereeversomuch。I'mawfulgladyouletmestay。“
　　AsBaileytoldAsaphafterwards，CaptainCyblusheduntiltheendsoftheredlappedoveratthenapeofhisneck。However，hebentandkissedtherosylipsandthenquicklybrushedhisownwithhishand。
　　“Yes，yes，“hestammered。“Well——er——goodnight。Pleasantdreamstoyou。Seeyouinthemornin'。“
　　Thegirlpausedatthechamberdoor。“Youwon'thavetounbuttonmywaistnow，“shesaid。“Thisismyotheroneanditain'tthatkind。“
　　Thedoorclosed。Thecaptain，withoutlookingathisfriends，ledthewaytothediningroom。
　　“Comeonouthere，“hewhispered。“Wecantalkbetterhere。“
　　Naturally，theywantedtoknowallaboutthegirl，whoshewasandwhereshecamefrom。CaptainCytoldasmuchofthehistoryoftheaffairashethoughtnecessary。
　　“Pooryoungone，“heconcluded，“shelandedontomeintherain，soppin'wet，andha'fsick。ICOULDN'Tturnheroutthen——nobodycould。Courseit'saneverlastin'outrageonmeandthecheekiestthingeverIheardof，butwhatcouldIdo？IwasfixedagooddeallikeanEnglishfellerbythenameofGatenbythatIusedtoknowinSouthAmerica。Hewokeupinthemiddleofthenightandfoundaboaconstrictorcurledonthefootofhisbed。Nextday，whenacrowdofushappenedin，therewasGatenby，whiteasasheet，starin'downatthesnake，anditsoundasleep。'Ididn'tinvitehim，'hesays，'buthelookedsobloomin'comf'tableI
　　'adn'tthe'earttodisturb'im。'Samewaywithme；thechildseemedsocomf'tablehereIain'thadthehearttodisturbher——
　　yet。“
　　“Butshesaidshewasgoin'tostay，“putinBailey。“Youain'tgoin'toKEEPher，areyou？”
　　Thecaptain'sindignationwasintense。
　　“Who——me？”hesnorted。“WhatdoyouthinkIam？Iain'trunnin'
　　anorphanasylum。No，sir！I'llkeeptheyoungoneadayorso——
　　ormaybeaweek——andthenI'llpackherofftoBetsyHowes。I
　　ain'tsosoftastheythinkIam。I'LLshow'em！”
　　Mr。Tiddittlookedthoughtful。
　　“She'sakindofcutelittlegirl，ain'tshe？”heobserved。
　　CaptainCy'sfrownvanishedandasmiletookitsplace。
　　“That'sso，“hechuckled。“Sheis，nowthat'safact！Idon'tknow'sIeversawacuter。“
　　CHAPTERVII
　　CAPTAINCYPROVESDELINQUENT
　　Aweekisn'taverylongtimeeveninBayport。True，therewasonceadrummerforaBoston“notion“housewhosprainedhisankleontheicysidewalkinfrontofSimmons's，andwasthereforeobligedtoremaininthefrontbedroomoftheperfectboardinghouseforsevenwholedays。Heisquotedassayingthatnexttimehehopedhemightbreakhisneck。
　　“Brother，“askedtheshockedRev。Mr。Daniels，whowascallinguponthestranger，“areyoupreparedtofaceeternity？”
　　“What？”wastheenergeticreply。“Afteraweekinthistown，andinthisbedroom？Lookhere，Mister，ifyouwanttoscaremeaboutthefutureyoujusthintthatthey'llputmeonastrawtickinanicechest。Anythinghotandlively'llonlybetemptingafterthis。“
　　Buttous，wholiveherethroughouttheyear，aweeksoonpasses。
　　AndtheendoftheweekfollowingEmilyThomas'sarrivalattheCyWhittakerplacefoundthelittlegirlstillthereandapparentlynonearerbeingshippedtoIndianathanwhenshecame。Notsonear，ifMr。Tidditt'sopinioncountsforanything。
　　“Gone？”herepeatedscoffinglyinreplytoBaileyBangs'squestion。
　　“Coursesheain'tgone！And，what'smore，sheain'tgoin'togo。
　　Whit'sgotsoalreadythathewouldn'tpartwithhernomore'nhe'dcutoffhishand。“
　　“ButhekeepsSAYIN'she'sgottogo。Onlyyesterdayhewastellin'howBetsy'dfeelwhenthegirllandedonherwithhisletterinherpocket。“
　　“Sayin'don'tcountfornothin'。ZoethCahoonkeepsSAYIN'he'sgoin'tostopdrinkin'，butheonlystopslongenoughtocatchhisbreath。Cy'stellin'himselffairyyarnsandhehopeshebelieves'em。Manalive！can'tyouSEE？Ain'thegettin'morefoolishovertheyoungoneeveryday？Don'tshebosshimroundliketheoverseeronacranberryswamp？Don'thelookmorecontentedthanhehassencehegotoffthecars？Itellyou，Bailey，thatchildfillsaplaceinWhit'slifethat'sbeenrunnin'toseedandneededweedin'。Nothin'couldfillitbetter——unless'twasanicewife。“
　　“WIFE！Oh，DObestill！Ibelieveyou'rewoman-struckandatanagewhenithadn'toughttobecatchin'nomore'nwhoopin'cough。“
　　Mr。Bangsandthetownclerkweretheonlyones，exceptCaptainCy，whoknewthewholetruthconcerningthelittlegirl。Notthatthechild'sarrivalwasn'tnotedandvigorouslydiscussedbyalargeportionofthetownspeople。EmilyhadnotbeenintheWhittakerhousetwodaysbeforeAngelinePhinneycalled，hotonthetrailofgossipandsensation。But，persistentasAngelinewas，shedepartedknowingnotquiteasmuchaswhenshecame。TheinterviewbetweenMissPhinneyandthecaptainmusthavebeeninteresting，judgingbythelady'saccountofit。
　　“Ineverseesuchamaninmyborndays，“declaredAngiedisgustedly。
　　“Youcouldn'tgetnothin'outofhim。Notthathewan'tpleasantandsociable；landsakes！heactedasgladtoseemeasifIwashisrichauntcomeonavisit。Andhewaswillin'totalk，too。That'sthetrouble；hedoneALLthetalkin'。Ihappenedtomention，justasasortofstarter，youknow，somethin'aboutthecranb'rycropthisfall；andafterthatallhecouldsaywas'cranb'ries，cranb'ries，cranb'ries！''Hearyou'vegotcomp'ny，'saysI。'Didyou？'sayshe。'Nowain'titstrangehowthings'llgetspreadaround？OnlyyesterdayIheardthatJoeDimick'sswampwasjustloadeddownwith“earlyblacks。“AndyetwhenIwentovertolookatittheredidn'tseemtobesomany。Thereain'tmuchbettercranb'riesanywherethanourearlyblacks，'hesays。'Youtake'em——'Andsoon，andsoon，andsoon。_I_didn'tcarenothin'
　　aboutthedrattedearlyblacks，buthedidn'tseemtocarefornothin'else。Hetalkedcranb'riessteadyforanhourandahalfandIleftthathousewithmymouthallpuckeredup；it'stastedsoureversence。Ineverseesuchaman！”
　　WhenCaptainCywasquestionedbyAsaphconcerningtheacidconversation，hegrinned。
　　“Ididn'tknowyouwassointerestedincranb'ries，“observedTidditt。
　　“Iain't，“wasthereply；“butI'mmoreinterestedin'emthanIaminAngie。Iseeshewassufferin'fromarushofcuriositytotheheadandIcuredherbyhomeopathdoses。EverytimesheopenedhermouthIdroppedan'earlyblack'intoit。It'sagoodreceipt；youtellBaileytotryitonKeturysometime。“
　　Tohischumsthecaptainwasemphaticinhisordersthatsecrecybepreserved。Noonewastobetoldwhothechildwasorwhereshecamefrom。“Whattheydon'tknowwon'thurt'emany，“declaredCaptainCy。AndEmily'sanswertoinquiringsoulswhowouldfainhavedelvedintoherpastwastotheeffectthat“UncleCyrus“
　　didn'tliketohavehertalkaboutherself。
　　“Idon'tknow'sI'mashamedofanythingI'vedonesofar，“saidthecaptain；“butIain'tbraggin'，either。TimeenoughtotalkwhenI
　　sendherbacktoBetsy。“
　　Thattime，apparently，wasnotinthenearfuture。ThegirlstayedonattheWhittakerplaceandgrewtobemoreandmoreapartofit。AttheendofthesecondweekCaptainCybegancallingher“Bos'n。“
　　“Abos'n'samightyhandymanaboardship，“heexplained，“andyou'resohandyherethatitfitsinfirstrate。And，besides，itsoundssonatural。Mydadcalledme'Bos'n'whenIwaslittle。“
　　Emilyacceptedthetitlecomplacently。Shewasquitecontentedtobecalledalmostanything，solongasshewaspermittedtostaywithhernewfriend。Alreadythebos'nhadtakenchargeofthedeckandtherestoftheship'scompany；CaptainCyand“Lonesome，“
　　thecat，obeyedherorders。
　　OnthesecondSundaymorningafterherarrival“Bos'n“suggestedthatsheandCaptainCygotochurch。
　　“MotherandIalwayswentathome，“shesaid。“AndAuntieOliverusedtosaymeetingwasagoodthingforthosethatneededit。“
　　“ThinkIneedit，doyou？”askedthecaptain，who，inshirtsleevesandslippers，hadpreparedforaquietforenoonwithhispipeandtheBostonTranscript。
　　“Idon'tknow，sir。IheardwhatyousaidwhenLonesomeateupthesteak，andIthoughtmaybeyouhadn'tbeenforalongtime。I
　　guesschurchesaredifferentinSouthAmerica。“
　　SotheywenttochurchandsatintheoldWhittakerpew。ThecaptainhadbeenthereoncebeforewhenhefirstreturnedtoBayport，butthesermonwasmoresomnolentthanedifying，andhehadn'trepeatedtheexperiment。Thepairattractedmuchattention。
　　Fragmentsofaconversation，heardbyCaptainCyastheyemergedintothevestibule，hadmomentousconsequences。
　　“Kindofaprettychild，ain'tshe？”commentedMrs。EbenSalters，pattingherfalsefrontintoplaceundertheeavesofherSundaybonnet。
　　“Prettyenoughintheface，“sniffedMrs。“Tad“Simpson，whowaswearingherblacksilkforthefirsttimesinceitsthirdmaking-
　　over。“Prettyenoughthatway，Is'pose。But，myland！lookatthewayshe'srigged。Olddress，darnedandpatchedupandalloutgrown！IfIhadCyWhittaker'smoneyI'dbeashamedtohavearelationofminecometomeetin'thatway。Evenifherfolkswaspoorer'nJob'soffoxI'dspendalittleonmyownaccountandtrusttogettingitbacksometime。I'dhavemorecareformyownself-respect。LookatAliciaAtkins。Seehowniceshelooks。
　　Themfeathersonherhatmusthavecostsomethin'，Ibetyou。
　　Howdydo，'Licia，dear？When'syourpacomin'home？”
　　TheHonorableHemanhadlefttownonabusinesstriptotheSouth。
　　AliciawasaccompaniedbytheAtkinshousekeeperand，asusual，wasgarbedregardlessofexpense。
　　Mrs。SalterssmiledsweetlyupontheAtkinsheirandthenadded，inachurchwhisper：“Don'tshelooksweet？Iagreewithyou，Sarah；
　　itisstrangehowCaptainWhittakerletshislittleniecego。Andhimrich！”
　　“Niece？”repeatedMrs。Simpsoneagerly。“Whosaid'twashisniece？
　　Iheard'twasachildhe'dadoptedoutofahome。There'sallsortsofqueeryarnsabout。I——Oh，goodmornin'，Cap'nCyrus！
　　HowDOyoudo？”
　　Thecaptaingruntedananswertotheeffectthathewasbearingupprettywell，considering。Therewasascowlonhisface，andhespokelittleas，holdingEmilybythehand，heledthewayhome。
　　ThateveninghedroppedinattheperfectboardinghouseandbeggedtoknowifMrs。Bangshadany“fashionbooks“aroundthatshedidn'twant。
　　“Imean——er——er——magazineswithpicturesofwomen'sdudsin'em，“
　　hestammered，inexplanation。“Bos'nlikestolookat'em。She'sgreatonfashionbooks，Bos'nis。“
　　KeturahgottogetherahalfdozennumbersoftheHomeDressmakerandotherperiodicalsofasimilarnature。Thecaptaintookthemunderhisarmanddeparted，whisperingtoMr。Tidditt，ashepassedthelatterinthehall：
　　“Comeupbyandby，Ase。Iwanttotalktoyou。BringBaileyalong，ifyoucandoitwithoutstartin'divorceproceedings。“
　　Later，whenthetriogatheredintheWhittakersittingroom，CaptainCyproducedthe“fashionbooks“andspokeconcerningthem。
　　“Yousee，“hesaid，“I——I'vebeenthinkin'thatBos'n——Emily，thatis——wan'triggedexactlythewaysheoughttobe。Haveyoufellersnoticedit？”
　　Hisfriendsseemedsurprised。Neitherwasreadywithanimmediateanswer，sothecaptainwenton。
　　“CourseIdon'tmeansheain'tgotcanvasenoughtocoverherspars，“heexplained；“butwhatshehasgothasseenconsider'bleweather，anditseemedtome'twasprettynightimetohaulherintodrydockandrefit。That'swhyIborrowedthesemagazinesofKetury。I'vebeenlookin'themoverandthereseemstobeplentyofriggin'forsmallcraft；theonlythingisIdon'tknowwhat'stherightcutforherbuild。Bailey，you'reamarriedman；yououghttoknowsomethin'aboutwomen'sclothes。Whatdoyouthinkofthis，now？”
　　Heopenedoneofthemagazinesandpointedtothepictureofayounggirl，withawaspywaistandLilliputianfeet，who，arrayedinflouncesandfurbelows，wastoddlinggingerlydownaflightofmarblesteps。Shecarriedaparasolinonehand，andtheotherheldtheendofachaintowhichalong-haireddogwasattached。
　　Thetownclerkandhiscompanioninspectedtheyoungladywithdeliberationandinterest。
　　“Well，whatdoyousay？”demandedCaptainCy。
　　“Idon'tcaremuchforthemkindofdogs，“observedAsaphthoughtfully。
　　“Goodland！youdon'ts'posetheyheavethedoginwiththeclothes，forgoodmeasure，doyou？Bailey，what'syouropinion？”
　　Mr。Bangslookedwise。
　　“Ishouldsay——“hesaid，“yes，sir，Ishouldsaythatwasarealstylishrig-out。Onlythingis，thatgirlisconsider'blelessfleshythanEmily。Thisonelookstomeasifshewasbreakin'intwoamidships。Still，Is'poselikelythedudsdon'tcomereadymade，sotheycouldbeletoutsome，tofit。What'sthepriceofasuitlikethat，Whit？”
　　Thecaptainlookedattheprintednumberbeneaththefashionplateandthenturnedtothedescriptioninthetext。
　　“'Afternoongownformissofsixteen，'“heread。“Humph！thatsettlesthat，firstcrack。Bos'nain'tbuthalfofsixteen。“
　　“Anyway，“putinAsaph，“youneedsomethin'shecouldwearforenoons，ifshewantedto。What'sthisone？Shelooksyoungenough。“
　　The“one“referredtoturnedouttobea“coatforchildoffour。“
　　Itwasthereforescornfullyrejected。Oneafteranotherthedifferentmagazineswereexaminedandthepicturesdiscussed。Atlengtha“costumeformissofeightyears“waspronouncedtobeprettynearlythething。
　　“Godfreyscissors！”exclaimedtheadmiringMr。Tidditt。“That'smightyswell，ain'tit？What'sthestuffgoesintothat，Cy？”
　　“'Material，batiste，trimmedwithembroideredbatiste。'Whatintimeisbatiste？”
　　“Idon'tknow。Doyou，Bailey？”
　　“No；neverheardofit。Keturyneverhadnothin'likethat，I'msure。French，Ishouldn'twonder。Well，Ketury'sdownontheFrencheversenceshereadaboutNapoleonleavin'hisfustwifetotakeupwithanotherwoman。Doesitsayanymore？”
　　“Let'ssee。'Makesabeautifulgownforeveningorsummerwear。'
　　Summer！Why，bythebigdipper，we'reagroundagain！Bos'ndon'twantsummerclothes。It'scomin'onwinter。“
　　Hethrewthemagazineonthefloor，rubbedhisforehead，andthenburstintoalaugh。
　　“Forgoodnesssake，don'ttellanybodyaboutthisbusiness，boys！”
　　hesaid。“IguessImustbehavin'anearlyspringofsecondchildhood。ButwhenIheardthosewomenatthemeetin'housegoin'
　　onabouthowpretty'LiciaAtkinswasgotupandhowmeanandshabbyBos'nlooked，itmademebile。And，bythebigdipper，I
　　WILLshow'emsomethin'aforeIgetthrough，too！Only，dressin'
　　littlegirlsissomeoffmyusualcourse。Bailey，doesKeturymakeherownduds？”
　　“Why，no！Courseshehelpsandstandsbyfororders，butEffieTaylorcomesandtakesthewheelwhiletheriggin'sgoin'on。
　　Effie'sadressmakerand——“
　　“There！See，Ase？ItISsomegoodtohaveamarriedmanaboard，afterall。Adressmaker'swhatwewant。I'llhuntupEffieto-morrow。“
　　Andhuntheruphedid，withtheresultthatMissTaylorcametotheWhittakerplaceeachdayduringthefollowingweekandEmilywas，asthecaptainsaid，“riggedoutfreshfrommaintrucktokeelson。“Inthis“rigging“CaptainCyandhistwopartners——
　　JosiahDimickhadalreadychristenedthepair“TheBoardofStrategy“——tookamarkedinterest。Theywereonhandwheneachnewgarmentwastriedon，andtheyapprovedorcriticisedasseemedtothembest。
　　“Ain'tthatkindofsoberlookin'forayoungonelikeBos'n？”
　　askedthecaptain，referringtooneofthenewgowns。“Idon'twanthertolookasifshewasdressedcheap。“
　　“Landsakes！”mumbledMissTaylor，hermouthfullofpins。“Thereain'tanythingcheapaboutit，andyou'llfinditoutwhenyougetthebill。That'sanice，rich，sensiblesuit。“
　　“Iknow，butit'ssoeverlastin'quiet！Don'tyouthinkalittleyellowandblackorsomeredstrungalongtheyardswouldsortoflivenitup？Why！yououghttoseethemGreasergirlsdowninSouthAmericaofaSundayafternoon。Color！andgo！Jerushy！
　　they'dprettynighknockyoureyeout。“
　　Thedressmakersniffeddisdain。
　　“Cap'nWhittaker，“sheretorted，“ifyouwantthischildtolooklikeanIndiansquaworabarber'spoleyou'llhavetogetsomebodyelsetodoit。I'musedtodressingChristians，notyellerandblackheathenwomen。Redstrungalongaskirtlikethat！Ineverdid！”
　　“There，there，Effie！Don'tgetthebarometerfallin'。Iwasonlysuggestin'，youknow。Whatdoyouthink，Bos'n？”
　　“Why，UncleCyrus，Idon'tbelieveIshouldlikeredverymuch；northeothercolors，either。Ilikethisjustasitis。“
　　“So？Well，you'rethedoctor。Maybeyou'reright。Iwouldn'twantyoutolooklikeabarber'spole。Don'tloveTadSimpsonenoughtowanttoadvertisehisbusiness。“
　　MissTaylor'scominghadotherresultsbesidestherefittingof“Bos'n。“Shefoundmuchfaultwiththecaptain'shousekeeping。ItdevelopedthathersisterGeorgiana，whohadbeenworkinginaBrocktonshoeshop，wasnowathomeandmightbeengagedtoattendtothehouseholddutiesattheWhittakerestablishment，providedshewasallowedto“gohomenights。“Georgianawasengaged，ontrial，anddidwell。Sothatproblemwassolved。
　　SchoolinBayportopensthefirstweekinOctober。Oflatetherehasbeenamovement，headedbysomeofthetownspeoplewhothinkcitywaysarebest，tohavethetermbegininSeptember。Butthisideahaslittlechanceofsuccessaslongascranberrypickingcontinuestobeourleadingindustry。Somanyofthechildrenhelpoutthefamilymeansbypickingcranberriesinthefallthatschool，untilthepickingseasonwasover，wouldbeslimlyattended。
　　ThelastweekinSeptemberfoundusalldiscussingthecomingofthenewdownstairsteacher，MissPhoebeDawes。Sinceitwasdefinitelysettledthatshewastocome，theoppositionhaddieddownandwaslessopenlyexpressed；butitwasthere，allthesame，beneaththesurface。CongressmanAtkinshadacceptedthesurprisingdefianceofhiswishwithcalmdignityandthephilosophyofthetrulygreatwhoarenottroubledbytrifles。Hislieutenant，TadSimpson，quotedhimassayingthat，ofcourse，thewilloftheschoolcommitteewasparamount，andhe，asallgoodcitizensshould，bowedtotheirverdict。“Farbeitfromme，“sothegreatmanproclaimed，“todesirethatmyopinionshouldcarrymoreweightthanthatofthehumblestofmyfriendsandneighbors。Speakingasonewhoseknowledgeoftheworldwas，perhaps——er——moreextensivethan——er——others，IfavoredtheNormalSchoolcandidate。Butthepersonschosentoselectthought——orappearedtothink——otherwise。
　　Ithereforesaynothingandawaitdevelopments。“
　　ThisattitudewasconsideredbymostofustoreflectcredituponMr。Atkins。Therewereafewscoffers，however。WhentheproclamationwasrepeatedtoCaptainCyhesmiled。
　　“Alpheus，“hesaidtoMr。Smalley，hisinformant，“youdidn'tusetoknowDeaconZebClark，wholivedupbythesaltworksinmygranddad'stime，hey？No，courseyoudidn't！Well，thedeaconwasagreatbelieverinhisownjudgment。Onetime，itbein'Saturday，hiswifewantedhimtopumpthewashtubfullandtakeabath。Hesaid，no；saidthecisternwasawfullowand'twoulduseupallthewater。Shesaidnosuchthing；therewaswatera-plenty。Toproveshewaswronghewentandpriedthecisterncoverofftolook，andfellin。Mrs。Clarkpeekeddownandsawhimthere，standin'uptohisneck。
　　“'Tabby，'sayshe，'youwouldhaveyourwayandI'mtakin'thebath。Butyoucanseeforyourselfthatwe'llhavetocartwaterfromnowon。However，_I_ain'tresponsible；throwmedownthesoapandtowel。'“
　　“Humph！”gruntedSmalley，“Idon'tseewhatthat'sgottodowithit。Hemanain'ttakin'nobath。“
　　“Idon'tknow'sit'sgotanythingtodowithit。ButhekindofmademethinkofZeb，allthesame。“
　　Thefirstdayofschoolwas，ofcourse，aMonday。OnSundayafternoonCaptainCyandBos'nwentforawalk。ThesewalkshadbecomearegularpartoftheSabbathprogramme，theweather，ofcourse，permitting。Afterchurchthepaircamehomefordinner。
　　Themealbeingeaten，thecaptainwouldlightacigar——apipewasnowhardly“dressed-up“enoughforSunday——and，takinghissmallpartnerbythehand，wouldleadthewayacrossthefields，throughthepinesanddownbythemeadow“shortcut“tothecemetery。ThecemeteryisafavoriteSabbathresortforthenativesofBayport，whousuallyspeakofitasthegraveyard。Itisapleasant，shadyspot，andtovisititisconsideredquiterespectableandinkeepingwiththedayandadueregardfordecorum。Theungodly，meaningthesummerboardersandthevillageno-accounts，seemtopreferthebeachandthefishhouses，butthecemeteryattractsthechurchgoers。Onemaygossipconcerningtheprobablecostofanewtombstoneandstillremainfaithfultothemostrigidcreed。
　　CaptainCywasnot，strictlyspeaking，areligiousman，accordingtoBayportstandards。BetweenhisattendancetochurchlydutiesandthatoftheHonorableHemanAtkinstherewasagreatgulffixed。ButheratherlikedtovisitthegraveyardonSundayafternoons。Hismotherhadbeenusedtostrolltherewithhim，inhisboyhood，anditpleasedhimtofollowinherfootsteps。
　　SoheandBos'nwalkedalongthegrass-coveredpaths，betweentheiron-fenced“lots“ofthewell-to-doandthehumblemoundsandsimpleslabswherethepoorweresleeping；pastthesumptuousgraniteshaftoftheAtkinslotandthetiltedmossystonewhichtoldhow“EdwinSimpson，ouronlyson，“hadbeen“accidentallyshotintheWestIndies“；outthroughthebackgateandupthehilltothepinegroveoverlookingthebay。Here，onascentedcarpetofpineneedles，theysatthemdowntorestandchat。
　　Emily，hersmallkneesdrawnupandencircledbyherarms，lookedoutacrosstheflats，nowhalfcoveredwiththerisingtide。Itwasamildday，morelikeAugustthanOctober，andtherewasalmostnowind。Thesunwasshiningontheshallowwater，andthesandbeneathitshowedyellow，checkeredandmarbledwithdarkgreenstreaksandpatcheswheretheweed-borderedchannelswoundtortuously。OnthehorizonthesandhillsofWellmouthnotchedthebluesky。Thegirldrewalongbreath。
　　“Oh！”sheexclaimed。“Isn'tthisjustlovely！Idoliketheseaanawfullot。“
　　“That'snaturalenough，“repliedhercompanion。“There'sabigstreakofsaltwaterinyourbloodonyourma'sside。Itpulls，thatkindofastreakdoes。There'sdayswhenIfeeluneasyeveryminuteandhankerforadeckunderneathme。Thesettin'roomfloorstaysaltogethertooquietonadaylikethat；I'dliketofeelitheavin'overagroundswell。“
　　“Say，Bos'n，“hesaidafewminuteslater；“I'vebeenthinkin'
　　aboutyou。You'vebeentoschool，haven'tyou？”
　　“CourseIhave，“wastheratherindignantanswer。“IwenttwoyearsinConcord。Mammausedtohelpmenights，too。Icanreadalmostallthelittlewords。Don'tIhelpyoureadyourpaper'mosteverynight？”
　　“Sartinyoudo！Yes，yes！Well，ourschoolopensto-morrerandI'vebeenthinkin'thatmaybeyou'dbettergo。There'sanewteachercomin'，andIhearshe'sprettygood。“
　　“Don'tyouKNOW？Why，Mr。Tiddittsaidyouwastheonethatgothertocomehere！”
　　“Yes；well，Asaphsays'mosteverythingbuthisprayers。Still，heain'tfuroffthistime；Ical'lateIwassomeresponsibleforherbein'votedin。YetIdon'treallyknowanythingabouther。Yousee，I——well，nevermind。Whatdoyouthink？Wanttogo？”
　　Bos'nlookedtroubled。
　　“I'dliketo，“shesaid。“CourseIwanttolearnhowtoreadthebigwords，too。ButIliketostayathomewithyoumore。“
　　“Youdo，hey？Sho，sho！Well，IguessIcangetalongbetweentimes。Georgiana'stheretokeepmestraightandshe'llseetothedustandthedishes。Iguessyou'dbettergoto-morrermornin'andseehowyoulikeit，anyhow。“
　　Thechildthoughtforamoment。
　　“Ithinkyou'reawfulgood，“shesaid。“Ilikeyounexttomamma；
　　evenbetterthanAuntieOliver。Iprintedalettertohertheotherday。ItoldheryouwerebetterthanweexpectedandIhaddecidedtolivewithyoualways。“
　　CaptainCywasstartled。Consideringthat，onlythedaybefore，hehadrepeatedtoBaileythedeclarationthatthearrangementwasbuttemporary，andthatBetsyHoweswasescapingresponsibilityonlyforamonthorso，hescarcelyknewwhattosay。
　　“Humph！”hegrunted。“You'vedecidedit，haveyou？Well，we'llsee。Nowyoutrotaroundandhaveagoodtime。I'mgoin'tohaveanothersmoke。I'llbeherewhenyougetback。“
　　Bos'nwanderedoffinsearchoflategoldenrod。Thecaptainsmokedandmeditated。Byandbythepuffswerelessfrequentandthecigarwentout。Itfellfromhisfingers。WithhisbackagainstapinetreeCaptainCydozedpeacefully。
　　Heawokewithajump。Somethinghadawakenedhim，buthedidnotknowwhat。Heblinkedandgazedabouthim。Thenheheardafaintscream。
　　“Uncle！”screamedBos'n。“O——o——o——h！UncleCyrus，helpme！Comequick！”
　　Thenextmomentthecaptainwasplungingthroughthescrubofhuckleberryandbayberrybushes，bumpingintopinesandsmashingthebranchesasideasheraninthedirectionofthecall。
　　Backofthepinegrovewasabiginclosedpasturenearlyaquarterofamilelong。Itsrearboundarywastheironfenceofthecemetery。Theotherthreesidesweremarkedbyrailfencesandastonewall。Asthecaptainflounderedfromthegroveandvaultedtherailfencehesworealoud。
　　“Bythebigdipper，“hegroaned，“it'sthatcussedheifer！I
　　forgother。Keepdodgin'，Bos'ngirl！I'mcomin'。“
　　ThepasturewastenantedbyaredandwhitecowbelongingtoSylvanusCahoon。Whetherornottheanimalhad，duringhercalfhooddays，beeninjuredbyawomanisnotknown；possiblyherbehaviorwasduemerelytoinnatedepravity。Atanyrate，shecherishedamortalhatredtowardhumanbeingsofherownsex。Withmenandboysshewasmeekenough，butnopersonwearingskirts，andalone，mightventureinthatfieldwithoutbeingchasedbythatcow。Whatwouldhappenifthepursuedonewascaughtcouldonlybesurmised，for，sofar，nofemalehadpermittedherselftobecaught。Fewwouldcomeevensonearastheothersideofthepasturewalls。
　　Bos'nhadforgottenthecow。Shehadgonefromonegolden-rodclumptoanotheruntilshehadtraversednearlythelengthofthefield。Thentheviciouscreaturehadappearedfrombehindaknollinthepastureand，headdownandbellowingwickedly，hadrusheduponher。Whenthecaptainreachedthefar-offfence，thelittlegirlwasdodgingfromonedwarfpinetothenext，withthecowinpursuit。ThepineswerefewandBos'nwasnearlyattheendofherdefenses。
　　“Help！”shescreamed。“Oh，uncle，whereareyou？WhatshallI
　　do？”
　　CaptainCyroaredinanswer。
　　“Keepitup！”heyelled。“I'ma-comin'！Shootyoueverlastin'
　　critter！I'llbreakyourbackforyou！”
　　Thecowdidn'tunderstandEnglishitseemed，evensuchvigorousEnglishasthecaptainwasusing。Emilydodgedtothelastpine。
　　Theanimalwascloseuponher。Herrescuerwasstillfaraway。
　　Andthenthecemeterygateopenedandanotherpersonenteredthepasture。Asmallperson——awoman。Shesaidnothing，butpickingupherskirts，ranstraighttowardthecow，heedlessofthelatter'sreputationandviciousappearance。Onehandclutchedthegatheredskirts。Intheothersheheldabook。
　　Don'tbescared，dear，“shecalledreassuringly。Thentothecow：
　　“Stopit！Goaway，youwickedthing！”
　　Theanimalheardthevoiceandturned。Seeingthatthenewcomerwasonlyawoman，sheloweredherheadandpawedtheground。
　　“Runforthegate，littlegirl，“commandedtherescuer。“Runquick！”Bos'nobeyed。Shemadeadesperatedashfromherpineacrosstheopenspace，andinanothermomentwassafeinsidethecemeteryfence。
　　“Scat！Gohome！”orderedthelady，advancingtowardthecowandshakingthebookather，asifthevolumewassomesortofdeadlyweapon。“Aren'tyouashamedofyourself！Goaway！Youneedn'tgrowlatme！I'mnotabitafraidofyou。“
　　The“growling“wasthemutteredbellowwithwhichthecowwaswonttoterrorizeherfemininevictims。Butthisvictimrefusedtobeterrorized。Insteadofscreamingandrunningshecontinuedtoadvance，brandishingthebookandrepeatingherordersthatthecreature“gohome“atonce。Thecowdidnotknowwhattomakeofit。Beforeshecoulddecidewhethertochargeorretreat，agood-
　　sizedstickdescendeduponherbackwitha“whack“thatsettledthequestion。CaptainCyhadreachedthesceneofbattle。
　　Thentherescuer'scourageseemedtodeserther，forsheranbacktothecemeteryevenfasterthanshehadrunfromit。Whentheindignantcaptain，havingpursuedandchastisedthecowuntilthestickwasbutasplinteredremnant，reachedthehavenbehindtheironfence，hefoundhersoothingthefrightenedBos'nwhowassobbingandhysterical。
　　Emilysawher“UncleCyrus“comingandrushedintohisarms。Hepickedherupand，holdingherwithagripwhichtestifiedtothenervestrainhehadbeenunder，steppedforwardtomeetthestranger，whosecominghadbeensoopportune。
　　AndsheWASastranger。ThecaptainknewmostofBayport'sinhabitantsbythistime，orthoughthedid，buthedidnotknowher。Shewasasmallwoman，quietlydressed，andherhair，underaneatblackandwhitehat，wasbrown。Thehatwasnowatrifletoonesideandthehairwastheleastbitdisarranged，aneffectnotatallunbecoming。Shewastuckinginthestraywispsasthecaptain，withBos'ninhisarms，cameup。
　　“Well，ma'am！”puffedCaptainCy。“WELL，ma'am！Imustsaythatwastheslickest，pluckiestthingeverIsawanywheres。Idon'tknowwhatwould——I——IdeclareIdon'tknowhowtothankyou。“
　　Theladylookedathimamomentbeforereplying。Thenshebegantolaugh，ajollylaughthatwaspleasanttohear。
　　“Don'ttry，please，“shesaidchokingly。“Itwasn'tanything。Oh，mercyme！I'malloutofbreath。Yousee，IhadbeenwarnedaboutthatcowwhenIstartedtowalkthisafternoon。SowhenIsawherchasingyourpoorlittlegirlhereIknewrightawaywhatwasthematter。Itmusthavebeenfoolishenoughtolookat。I'musedtodogsandcats，butIhaven'thadmanypetcows。Itoldherto'gohome'andto'scat'andallsortsofthings。WonderIdidn'ttellhertoliedown！AndthewayIshookthatridiculousbookatherwas——“
　　ShelaughedagainandthecaptainandBos'njoinedinthelaugh，inspiteofthefrighttheybothhadexperienced。
　　“Thatbookwasdryenoughtofrightenalmostanything，“continuedthelady。“ItwasoneItookfromthetablebeforeIlefttheplacewhereI'mstaying，andadullercollectionofsermonsIneversaw。Oh，dear！……there！Ismyhatanymorerespectablenow？”
　　“Yes'm。It'saboutonanevenkeel，Ishouldsay。ButImusttellyou，ma'am，youdonesimplygreatand——“
　　“Seemstomethepeoplewhoownthatcowmustbeapoorsettolethermakesuchanuisanceofherself。Didyourdaughterrunawayfromyou？”
　　“Well，yousee，ma'am，sheain'treallymydaughter。Bos'nhere——
　　that'smynicknameforher，ma'am——sheandIwasoutwalkin'。I
　　setdowninthepinesandIguessImusthavedozedoff。Anyhow，whenIwokeupshewasgone，andthefirstthingIknewofthisscrapewashearin'herhail。“
　　Thelittlewoman'smannerchanged。Hergrayeyesflashedindignantly。
　　“Youdozedoff？”sherepeated。“Withalittlegirlinyourcharge，andintheverynextlottothatcow？Didn'tyouknowthecreaturechasedwomenandgirls？”
　　“Why，yes；I'dheardofit，but——“
　　“Itwasn'tUncleCyrus'sfault，“putinBos'neagerly。“Itwasmine。Iwentawaybymyself。“
　　Beyondshiftinghergazetothechildtheladypaidnoattentiontothisremark。
　　“Whatdoyouthinkhermother'llsaywhensheseesthatdress？”
　　sheasked。