“Well，“hedemandedbrusquely，“thesupper’shereandsomebody’sgottoeatit，Ical’late。Fetchiton，Isaiah！Whatareyoustarin’
　　atmelikethatfor，youdumbhead？“
　　Isaiahbroughtinthesupper。Thenhedemandedtoknowwhatthefusswasallabout。Shadrachtoldhim。Isaiah’schiefinterestseemedtocenterontheattemptedshooting。
　　“Whythesonofaswab！“hecried，excitedly。“OfallthecheekI
　　everheardofinmylifethatAbnerBacheldor’sgottheheft！Toborreraman’sowngun——yes，andcartridges，too——tokillthatman’sowncatwith！Ofallthesolidbrass！Henevertoldme’twasourcat。Allhewantedtoknowwascouldheborreryourgunandsomethin’toloaditwith。IfI’dknown——“
　　Hisemployerinterruptedhim。“WHAT？“heroared。“DoyoumeantosaythatAbBacheldorcamehereandborrowedMYgunto——todowhathedonewith？“
　　“Sartinsurehedid。Andonlythisveryafternoon，too。“
　　“Anddidheknowwhosecat’twas？“
　　“Hesaidhedid。Mary-’Gustawashere’longwithmewhenhecome。
　　Isays：’Knowwhosecat’tis？’andsayshe，’Iknowallright！’I
　　thoughtheactedkindofsheepishandfunny。I——Here！whereyougoin’？“
　　TheCaptainwasonhisfeetandhiscapwasinhishand。
　　“Goin’！“hesnarled。“I’mgoingtomakeanothercallonAbner。
　　And，“withhishandonthelatch，“ifyouhearsomebodybein’
　　murderedoverinthatdirectionyouneedn’tcalltheconstable，neither。“
　　“But——but，holdon，Cap’nShad！Youain’tfinishedyourownsupperyetandZoeth’swaitinguptothestoreforyoutocomebackso’shecancomedownandgethis。“
　　Thereplywasemphaticand，initsway，conclusive。
　　“Tothebluebrimstonewiththesupper！“roaredShadrach。“ItcanwaitandsocanZoeth。Ifhecan’thecandothenextbest。“
　　Hewasabsentforhalfanhour。WhenhereturnedMr。Hamiltonwasinthedining-room。Shadrachentered，bearingthepreciousshotgun。
　　Hestooditcarefullyinthecorner。Therewasasatisfiedlookinhiseye。
　　“Forgoodness’sake，Shadrach！“exclaimedZoeth，“whathaveyoubeenthinkin’of？ThereIwaswaitin’andwaitin’andhankerin’andhankerin’andnoyounornosupper。Ihadtolockupthestorefinally。’Twaseitherthatorstarve。Iain’tafault-finder，generallyspeakin’，butIhavetoeat，sameasotherfolks。“
　　Hispartnerpaidnottheleastattention。HisfirstremarkwasintheformofaquestionaddressedtoMr。Chase。
　　“Lookhere，Isaiah，“hedemanded，“didIunderstandyoutosaythatMary-’Gustawaswithyouwhenthatsculpincometoborrowmygun？“
　　“Yup。Shewashere。“
　　“Andsheknewthathewasgoin’toshootacatwithit？“
　　“Sartin，sheheardhimsayso。“
　　Shadrachstrodetothemantel，tookfromitahand-lamp，lightedthelampandwithitinhishandwalkedfromtheroomandascendedthestairs。Zoethcalledafterhim，buthedidnotanswer。
　　HeenteredMary-’Gusta’sroom。Thechildwasinbed，thedollsbesideher。Shewasnotasleep，however。Thetearstainsonhercheeksandthedampnessofthepillowshowedhowshehadspentthetimesinceleavingthedining-room。
　　Shadrachputthelampuponthewashstand，pulledachairbesidethebedandsatdown。Hetookherhandinhis。
　　“Mary-’Gusta，“hesaid，gently，“youknew’twasmygunthatAbBacheldorwastryin’toshootDavidwith？“
　　Mary-’Gustamovedherheadupanddownonthepillow。
　　“Yes，sir，“shesaid。
　　“Youwasherewhenheborrowedit？“
　　“Yes，sir。AndthenIknewitwasyourswhenhehaditthereinthefield。Isawthesilvernamethingonthehandle。Itkindofshinedinthesun。“
　　“Um-hm。Yes，yes。Isee。Youknewit，ofcourse。Butyoudidn’ttellme。Whyonearthdidn’tyou？Didn’tyouknowthatifI’drealizedthatswabhadborreredmyguntokillmycatthatwouldhavebeenenough？Ifthecritterhadstoleamillionchickens’twouldn’thavemadeanydifferenceifI’dknownTHAT。Thecheekylubber！Well，hewon’tshootatanythingofoursforonespell，I’llbet。Butwhydidn’tyoutellme？“
　　Mary-’Gusta’sanswerwaspromptlygiven。
　　“Why，’cause，“shesaid，“thatwasjustit。Iknewifyouknewthatyouwouldn’tcarewhetherDavidstolethechickenornot。AndI
　　wantedyoutoknowhedidn’t。“
　　“Um，Isee。Butifyouhadtoldmeyouwouldn’thavehadtotellabouttheparlor。I’Dneveraskedasinglequestion。“
　　“Ye-yes，sir；butIwantedyoutoknowDaviddoesn’tstealchickens。“
　　Shadrachswallowedhard。“Isee，“hesaid。“Yes，yes，Isee。Sojusttoclearthatcatyouwaswillin’togiveupthepicnicandeverything。“
　　Mary-’Gustasobbed：“I——Ididwanttogoso，“shemoaned。
　　TheCaptainliftedherfromthepillowandputhisarmabouther。
　　“YouAREgoin’，“hedeclared，emphatically，“youjustbetyou’regoin’。“
　　“Oh！Oh，amI？AmIreally？I——IknowIhadn’toughtto。Iwasabadgirl。“
　　“You！You’readummedgoodgirl！Thebestandsquarest——yes，andthespunkiestlittlegirlIeversaw。You’reabrick。“
　　“I’mawfulsorryIwentintotheparlor，Cap’nGould。“
　　“Blasttheparlor！Idon’tcareifyoustayinthereaweekandsmasheverythinginit。And——and，seehere，Mary-’Gusta，don’tyoucallme’Cap’nGould’anymore。Callme’UncleShad，’willyou？“
　　JustbeforebedtimethatnightMr。Hamiltonbroachedasubjectwhichhadtroubledhimallday。
　　“Shadrach，“hesaid，timidly。“I——IguessIoughttotellyousomethin’。Iknowyouwon’twanttotalkaboutit，butseems’sifImusttellyou。IhadaletterthismorningfromJudgeBaxter。Hesayshecan’twaitmuchlongerforananswerfromusaboutMarcellus’sgirl。He’sgottoknowwhatwe’vedecidedtodowithher。“
　　Shadrach，whowassmoking，tookhispipefromhismouth。
　　“Well，givehimtheanswerthen，“hesaid，shortly。“Youknowwhat’tis，wellasIdo。“
　　Zoethlookedtroubled。
　　“Iknowyoudon’twanttokeepher，“hesaid，“but——“
　　“WhosaidIdidn’t？“
　　“Who？Why，ShadrachGould！Yousaid——“
　　“Isaidagoodmanythingsmaybe；butthat’snothin’。YouknewwhatImeantaswellasIdid。“
　　“Why，Shadrach！You——youdon’tmeanyouAREwillin’tokeepher——
　　here，withus，forgood？Youdon’tmeanTHAT？“
　　TheCaptainsnortedimpatiently。“Don’tbesofoolish，Zoeth，“heprotested。“YouknewplagueywellInevermeantanythingelse。“
　　CHAPTERVII
　　ThenextdayCaptainShadrachdrovetoOstableandspentseveralhoursinconsultationwithJudgeBaxter。Adjustingmattersbycorrespondenceisaslowprocessatbest，andtheCaptain，havingsurrenderedunconditionally，wasnotthemantodelay。
　　“Icansettlemoreintenminutes’talk，“hetoldhispartner，“thanthethreeofuscouldinamonth’sletter-writin’，especiallyifI
　　hadtowriteanyoftheletters。Ineverwasanyhandtowriteletters；youknowthat，Zoeth。AndwhenIdowriteonethefellerI
　　sendittoisliabletocomearoundandaskmetoreadit’causehecan’t。LikeasnotIcan’teither，ifit’shadtimetogetcold，andthereweare，rightwherewestarted。No，I’llgoandseetheJudgeandwhenIfetchporttonightthere’llhavebeensomethin’
　　done。“
　　Thisprophecywasfulfilled。BeforetheCaptainleftOstableforthehomewarddriveagooddealhadbeendone。JudgeBaxter，inhiscapacityasadministrator，hadalreadybeenlookingintotheaffairsofhislateclientand，ashehadexpected，thoseaffairswerebadlytangled。Whentheoutstandingdebtswerepaidtherewouldbelittleleft，athousandortwo，perhaps，butcertainlynomore。
　　“Sothereyouare，Shadrach，“hesaid。“I’mmightygladyouandZoethhavedecidedtokeepthegirl，butI’mafraidshe’llcometoyouwithverylittlepropertyofherown。IfsheistohavethegoodeducationandalltherestthatMarcelluswantedhertohaveI
　　guessit’llbeyourmoneythatpaysforit。That’sthehonesttruth，andIthinkyououghttoknowit。“
　　TheCaptainnodded。“That’sallright，“hesaid。“Iexpectedjustaboutthat，accountofwhatyousaidthedayofthefuneral。MeandZoethareabout，asfurfrombein’richastheship’scatisfrombein’skipper，butwe’veputbyalittleandthestorefetchesusinadecentlivin’。We’lltaketheyoung-oneanddoourbestbyher。
　　Landknowswhatthatbest’llbe，“headded，withadubiousshakeofthehead。“Speakin’formyself，IfeelthatI’maboutascompetenttobringupachildasaclamistofly。“
　　Baxterlaughed。“MarcellusseemedconfidentthatyouandHamiltonwereperfectlysuitedtothejob，“hesaid。
　　“Um；yes，Iknow；Marcellushadconfidenceinagoodmanythings，thestockmarketincluded。However，whatistobewillbeandweallhavetotakechances，asthefellerthatwasjustmarriedsaidwhenhetackledhiswife’sfirstmincepie。Yougetthoseguardianpapers，whatevertheyare，madeout，andZoethandme’llsign’em。
　　Asforthecompetentpart——well，“withachuckle，“thatchild’sprettycompetentherself。Ihaveanotionthat，takeitfiveorsixyearsfromnow，it’llbeherthat’llbebringin’usupinthewayweshouldgo。IfeelagooddealasifIwassignin’onforalongvoyagewiththechancesthatI’dfinishmateinsteadofskipper。“