Apartofthisstatementisnotsurprising。Theaverageperson，nomatterhowhumbleorobscure，isprettycertaintobetalkedaboutonthedayofhisfuneral，andMarcelluswastobeburiedthatafternoon。Moreover，Marcellushadbeenneitherhumblenorobscure；
　　also，hehadbeentalkedaboutagooddealduringthefifty-nineyearsofhissojournonthisplanet。Soitisnotatallsurprisingthatheshouldbetalkedaboutnow，whenthatsojournwasended。
　　ButforallOstable——yes，andalargepartofSouthHarniss——tobeengagedinspeculationconcerningthefutureofMary-’Gustawassurprising，for，priortoMarcellus’sdeath，veryfewoutsideoftheHallhouseholdhadgivenherorherfutureathought。
　　Onthisday，however，wheneverorwhereverthenameofMarcellusHallwasmentioned，afterthedispositionofMarcellus’sownboneshadbeendiscussedandthoseofhisfamilyskeletondisinterredandarticulated，theconversation，inatleasteightcasesoutoften，resolveditselfintoaguessingcontest，havingasitsproblemthisquery：
　　“What’sgoin’tobecomeofthatchild？“
　　Forexample：
　　Mr。BethuelSparrow，localnewsgathererfortheOstableEnterprise，seatedbeforehisdeskintheeditorialsanctum，waswritinganobituaryfornextweek’spaper，underthefollowinghead：
　　“AProminentCitizenPassesAway。“
　　Anordinarymanwouldprobablyhavewritten“Dies“；butMr。Sparrow，beingayoungandverynewreporterforaruralweekly，wrote“PassesAway“asmoreelegantandlessshockingtothereader。
　　Itismuchmoresoothingandrefinedtopassawaythantodie——
　　unlessonehappenstobethepersonmostconcerned，inwhichcase，perhaps，itmaymakelittledifference。
　　“TheAngelofDeath，“wroteMr。Sparrow，“passedthroughourmidstonTuesdaylastandcalledtohisrewardCaptainMarcellusHall，oneofOstable’smostwell-knownandinfluentialresidents。“
　　Aslightexaggerationhere。MarcellushadlivedinOstablebutfiveyearsaltogetherand，duringthelastthree，hadtakenabsolutelynopartintownaffairs——political，religiousorsocial。However，“influential“isagoodwordandusualinobituaries，soBethuelletitstand。Hecontinued：
　　“CaptainHall’ssuddendeath——“
　　Erasureof“death“andsubstitutionof“demise。“
　　Then：
　　“——Wasashocktothecommunityatlarge。Ithappenedonaccountof——“Moreerasuresandsubstitutions。“——Itwastheresultofhistakingcoldowingtoexposureduringtheheavysoutheastrainsofweekbeforelastwhichdevelopedintopneumonia。Hegrewrapidlyworseandpassedawayat3。06P。M。onTuesday，leavingavacancyinourmidstwhichwillbehardtofill，ifatall。AlthoughCaptainHallhadresidedinOstablebutacomparativelyshortperiod，hewaswell-knownandrespected，bothasamanand——“
　　Here，inventionfailing，Mr。Sparrowcalledforassistance。
　　“Hey，Perce，“hehailed，addressinghiscompanion，Mr。PercyClark，whowasbusysettingtype：“What’sagoodwordtousehere？IsayMarcelluswasrespectedbothasaman——andsomethin’else。“
　　“Hey？“queriedPercy，absently，scanningtheeightpointcase。
　　“Whatd’yesay？“
　　“Iaskedyouwhatwouldbeagoodthingtogowith’man’？“
　　“Hey？Idon’tknow。Woman，Iguess。“
　　“Aw，cutitout。Nevermind，Igotit：
　　“——Asamanandacitizen。CaptainHallwasfifty-nineyearsofageatthetimeofhisdemise。HewasborninSouthHarnissandfollowedtheseauntil1871，whenhefoundedthefirmofHallandCompany，whichwasforsomeyearstheleadingdealerinfreshandsaltfishinthissectionofthestate。Whenthefirm——
　　“Isay，Perce！’Twouldn’tdotosayMarcellusfailedinbusiness，wouldit？Mightseemlikehintin’atthatstuffabouthissisterandtherestofit。Mightgetusintotrouble，eh？“
　　“Humph！Idon’tknowwhowith。Everybody’stalkin’aboutit，anyway。Uptotheboardin’housethey’vebeentalkingaboutmightylittleelseeversincehedied。“
　　“Iknow，buttalk’sonethingandprint’sanother。I’mgoin’toleaveitout。
　　“Whenthefirmwentoutofbusinessin1879，CaptainHallfollowedtheseaagain，commandingtheshipsFaraway，FairWind，andTreasureSeeker，andthebarkApollo。Laterheretiredfromtheseaandhasnotbeenactiveinthesameorotherwisesince。In1894hemarriedAugustaBangsLathrop，widowofthelateReverendCharlesLathrop，formerlypastoroftheCongregationalChurchinthistown。CaptainHallhadbeenresidinginhisnativetown，SouthHarniss，butafterhismarriagehetookuphisresidenceinOstable，purchasingtheresidenceformerlyownedbyElnathanPhinneyonPhinney’sHill，whereheliveduntilhislamenteddemise。Mrs。Hallpassedawayin1896。ThesuddenremovalofCaptainHallfromourmidstleavesastepdaughter，MaryAugustaLathrop，agedseven。The——“
　　HereMr。Sparrow’strainofthoughtcollidedwiththeobstructionwhichwasderailingmanysimilartrainsinOstableandSouthHarniss。
　　“Isay，Perce，“heobserved“what’sgoin’tobecomeofthatkidofMarcellus’s——hiswife’s，Imean？Marcellusdidn’thaveanyrelations，asfarasanybodyknows，andneitherdidhiswife。Who’sgoin’totakecareofMary-’Gusta？“
　　Percyshookhishead。“Don’tknow，“heanswered。“That’swhatallhandsareaskin’。Ipresumelikelyshe’llbelookedafter。
　　Marcellusleftplentyofmoney，didn’the？Andkidswithmoneycangenerallyfindguardians。“
　　“Yup，Iguessthat’sso。Still，whoevergetsherwillhavetheirhandsfull。She’sthemostold-fashioned，queerestyoung-oneeverI
　　saw。“
　　SomuchforMr。SparrowandhisfellowlaborerfortheEnterprise。
　　NowtolistenforamomenttoJudgeBaxter，wholedthelegalprofessionofOstable；andtoMrs。Baxterwho，socommonreportaffirmed，ledtheJudge。ThepairwereupstairsintheBaxterhouse，dressingforthefuneral。
　　“Daniel，“declaredMrs。Baxter，“it’sthequeerestthingIeverheardof。Yousaytheydon’tknow——eitherofthem——andthechildherselfdoesn’tknow，either。“
　　“That’sit，Ophelia。Nooneknowsexceptmyself。CaptainHallreadthelettertomeandputitinmychargeayearago。“
　　“Well，Imustsay！“
　　“Yes，Iknow，Isaiditatthetime，andI’vebeensayingittomyselfeversince。Itdoesn’tmeananything；thatis，itisnotbindinglegally，ofcourse。It’sabsolutelyunbusinesslikeandunpractical。Simplyaletter，askingthem，asoldfriends，todothisthing。WhethertheywillornottheAlmightyonlyknows。“
　　“Well，Daniel，ImustsayIshouldn’thavethoughtyou，ashislawyer，wouldhavelethimdosuchathing。Ofcourse，Idon’tknoweitherofthemverywell，but，fromwhatlittleI’veheard，Ishouldsaytheyknowasmuchaboutwhattheywouldbesupposedtodoas——asyoudoabouttyinganecktie。Formercysakesletmefixit！Theknotissupposedtobeunderyourchin，notunderyourearasifyouweregoingtobehung。“
　　TheJudgemeeklyelevatedthechinandhiswifepulledthetieintoplace。
　　“Andso，“shesaid，“theycansayyesornojustastheylike。“
　　“Yes，itrestsentirelywiththem。“
　　“Andsupposetheysayno，whatwillbecomeofthechildthen？“
　　“Ican’ttellyou。CaptainHallseemedprettycertaintheywouldn’tsayno。“
　　“Humph！There！Nowyoulookalittlemorepresentable。Haveyougotacleanhandkerchief？Well，that’sanunexpectedmiracle；I
　　don’tknowhowyouhappenedtothinkofit。Whenareyougoingtospeakwiththemaboutit？“
　　“Today，iftheycometothefuneral，asIsupposetheywill。“
　　“IshallbeinafidgetuntilIknowwhethertheysayyesorno。
　　AndwhichevertheysayIshallkeeponfidgetinguntilIseewhathappensafterthat。PoorlittleMary-’Gusta！IwonderwhatWILL
　　becomeofher。“
　　TheJudgeshookhishead。
　　OvertheroadbetweenSouthHarnissandOstableabuggydrawnbyanagedwhitehorsewasmovingslowly。Onthebuggy’sseatweretwomen，CaptainShadrachGouldandZoethHamilton。CaptainGould，big，stout，andbearded，wasdriving。Mr。Hamilton，small，thin，smooth-
　　facedandwhite-haired，wasbesidehim。BothwereobviouslydressedintheirSundayclothes，CaptainShadrach’sblue，Mr。Hamilton’sblack。Eachworeanuncomfortablyhighcollarandtheshoesofeachhadbeenlaboriouslypolished。Theirfaces，utterlyunlikeinmostrespects，wereverysolemn。
　　“Ahhum！“sighedMr。Hamilton。
　　CaptainShadrachsnortedimpatiently。
　　“Forthelandsakesdon’tdothatagain，Zoeth，“heprotested。
　　“That’sthetenth’Ahhum’you’vecastlooseinamile。Iknowwe’reboundtoafuneralbutthereain’tnoneedoftollin’thebellalltheway。Idon’tlikeitandIdon’tthinkMarcelluswouldneither，ifhecouldhearyou。“
　　“Perhapshecanhearus，Shadrach，“suggestedhiscompanion，mildly。
　　“Perhapshe’sherewithusnow；whocantell？“
　　“Humph！Well，ifheisthenIKNOWhedon’tlikeit。Marcellusnevermadeanyfusswhateverhappened，andhewouldn’tmakeanyathisownfuneralnomorethanatanybodyelse’s。Thatwasn’thisway。Saynothin’andkeepheronthecourse，thatwasMarcellus。I