第1章
THEPERFECTBOARDINGHOUSE
Itisqueer，butCaptainCyhimselfdoesn"trememberwhetherthedaywasTuesdayorWednesday。AsaphTidditt"srecordsoughttosettleit，fortherewasameetingoftheboardofselectmenthatday，andAsaphhasbeentownclerkinBayportsincethesummerbeforetheBaptistmeetinghouseburned。Butontherecordthedate，inAsaph"shandwriting，stands“Tuesday，May10，189-“and，asithappens，May10ofthatyearfellonWednesday，notTuesdayatall。
KeturahBangs，whokeeps“theperfectboardinghouse，“saysitwasTuesday，becausesherememberstheyhadfriedcodcheeksandcabbagethatday——astheyhaveeveryTuesday——andneitherMr。
TiddittnorBaileyBangs，Keturah"shusband，wasonhandwhenthedinnerbellrang。KeturahsayssheiscertainitwasTuesday，becausesherememberssmellingtheboiledcabbageasshestoodatthesidedoor，lookinguptheroadtoseeifeitherAsaphorBaileywascoming。AsforBailey，hesaysheremembersbeinglatetodinnerandhiswife"s“startin"toheaveabroadsidesintohim“
becauseofit，buthedoesn"trememberwhatdayitwas。Thisisn"tsurprising；Keturah"sverbalcannonadesarelikelytomakeoneforgetfuloftrifles。
Atanyrate，whetherTuesdayorWednesday，itiscertainthatitwasquarterpasttwelve，accordingtotheclockpresentedtotheMethodistSocietybytheHonorableHemanAtkins，whenAsaphTiddittcamedownthestepsofthetownhall，aftertheselectmen"smeeting，andsawBaileyBangswaitingforhimontheoppositesideoftheroad。
“Hello，Ase！”hailedMr。Bangs。“You"llbelatetodinner，ifyoudon"thurry。Iwasheadin"forhome，allsailsot，whenIseeyou。
Whatkeptyou？”
“Townbusiness，ofcourse，“repliedMr。Tidditt，withtheimportancepertainingtohisofficialposition。“WhatkeptYOU，forthelandsakes？Won"tKeturybeinyourwool？”
Baileyhasn"tany“wool“worthmentioningnow，andhehadverylittlemorethen，buthemoppedhisforehead，ortheextensionaboveit，takingoffhiscaptodoso。
“Ical"lateshewill，“hesaid，uneasily。“Tellyouthetruth，Ase，Iwasuptothestore，andCap"nJosiahDimickandsomemoreof"emdriftedinandwegottalkin"aboutthechancesoftheharborappropriation，andonethingor"nother，and"twaslater"nIthought"twas"foreIknewit。“
Theappropriationfromthegovernment，whichwastodeepenandwidenourharborhereatBayport，wasaveryvitaltopicamongusjustthen。HemanAtkins，thecongressmanfromourdistrict，hadpromisedtodohisbestfortheappropriation，andhadforatimebeenverysanguineofsecuringit。Recently，however，hehadnotbeenquiteashopeful。
“What"sCap"nJosiahthinkaboutthechances？”askedAsapheagerly。
“Well，sometimeshethinks"Yes"andthenagainhethinks"No，"“
repliedBailey。“Hesays，ofcourse，ifHemanisabletogetithewill，butifheain"tableto，he——he——“
“Hewon"t，Is"pose。Well，_I_canthinkthatmyself，andIdon"tsetuptobenoinspiredknow-it-all，likeJoeDimick。Heain"theardfromHemanlately，hashe？”
“No，heain"t。Neither"sanybodyelse，sofurasIcanfindout。“
“Oh，yes，theyhave。_I_have，forone。“
Mr。Bangsstoppedshortinhisdouble-quickmarchforhomeanddinner，andlookedhiscompanionintheface。
“AseTidditt！”hecried。“Doyoumeantotellmeyou"vehadaletterfromHemanAtkins，fromWashin"ton？”
Asaphnoddedportentously。
“Yes，sir，“hedeclared。“AletterfromtheHonorableHemanG。
Atkins，ofWashin"ton，D。C。，cometomelastnight。IreaditaforeIturnedin。“
“Youdid！Andneversaidnothin"aboutit？”
“WhyshouldIsayanythingaboutit？"Twasaddressedtomeastownclerk，andwasconcernin"amattertobetookupwiththeboardofs"lectmen。Iain"tinthehabitofhollerin"townaffairsthroughaspeakin"trumpet。Folksthatvoteformetown-meetin"dayknowthat，Iguess。AngiePhinneysaystomeonlyyesterday，"Mr。
Tidditt，"saysshe，"there"sonethingI"llsayforyou——youdon"ttalk。"“
MissPhinneyboardedwiththeBangses，andBaileywasacquaintedwithherpersonalpeculiarities；forthatmattersoweremostofBayport"spermanentresidents。
“Humph！”hesnortedindignantly。“Shethought"twasagoodthingnottotalk，hey？SHEdid？Well，bymighty！younevergetnoCHANCEtotalkwhenshe"saround。AngiePhinney！Why，whenthatpollparrotofhersdied，Alph"usSmalleydeclaredupanddownthatwhatkilleditwasjealousyanddisapp"intedambition；hesaiditbrokeitshearttryin"tokeepupwithAngie。Hermawasthesamebreedofcats。Iremember——“
ThetalkingproclivitiesoffemalesistheonetopicuponwhichKeturah"shusbandistouchiest。Asaphknewthis，buthedelightedtostiruphischumoccasionally。Hechuckledasheinterruptedtheflowofreminiscence。
“There，there，Bailey！”heexclaimed。“IknowasmuchaboutAngie"stribeasyoudo，Ical"late。Ain"twealittlemiteoffthecourse？Seemstomewewastalkin"aboutHeman"sletter。“
“Isthatso？Ijudgedfromwhatyousaidwewa"n"tgoin"totalkaboutit。Aw，don"tbesomean，Ase！Showin"offyourimportancelikeayoungone！WhatdidHemansayabouttheappropriation？Ishegoin"togetit？”
Mr。Tiddittpausedbeforereplying。Then，bendingover，hewhisperedinhischum"sear：
“Heneversaidonewordabouttheappropriation，Bailey；notoneword。Hewantedtoknowifwe"dgotthisyear"staxesontheWhittakerplace。And，ifwehadn"t，whatwaswegoin"todoaboutit？Bailey，betweenyouandmeandthemizzenmast，HemanAtkinswantstogetaholdofthatplacetheworstway。“
“Hedoes？HeDOES？Forthelandsakes，ain"thegotpropertyenoughalready？Ain"ta——apalacelikethatenoughforoneman，withoutwantin"tobuyarattletraplikeTHAT？”
Thefirst“that“wasemphasizedbyabrandishedbutreverentlefthand；thesecondbyaderisivelypointingright。Thetwofriendshadreachedthecrestofthelongslopeleadingupfromthetownhall。Ononesideoftheroadstretchedtheimposingfrontageofthe“Atkinsestate，“withitsironfenceandstoneposts；ontheotherslouchedtheweed-grown，tumble-downdesolationofthe“CyWhittakerplace。“Thecontrastwasthatofopulentprosperityandpoverty-strickenneglect。
Ifourvillageboastedoneofthosehorselessjuggernauts，suchasareusedtocarrysightseersinBostonfromtheoldNorthChurchtothePublicLibraryandotherpointsofinterest——thatis，iftherewasa“seeingBayport“car，itisfromthishillthatitsoccupantswouldbegiventheirfinestviewofthevillageanditssurroundings。
AsCaptainJosiahDimickalwayssays：“Bayportisallnorthandsouth，likeacodfishline。ItputsmeinmindofSethHiggins"soldestboy。Hewassotallandthinthatwhentheyboughtasuitofclothesforhim，theyusedtotakereefsinthesidesofthejacketandusetheclothtopieceontothebottomsofthetrousers"legs。“
WhatCaptainJoemeansisthatthehousesinthevillageareallbuiltbesidethreeroadsrunninglongitudinally。Thereisthe“mainroad“andthe“upperroad“——or“WoodchuckLane，“justasyouprefer——andthe“lowerroad，“otherwiseknownas“Bassett"sHoller。“
The“upperroad“issometimescalledthe“depotroad，“becausetherailroadstationisconvenientlylocatedthereon——convenientfortherailroad，thatis——thestationbeingafullmilefromSimmons"s“generalstore，“whichisconsideredthecenterofthetown。Theupperroadentersthemainroadatthecornerbythestore，andtherealsoaretheMethodistmeetinghouseandtheschoolhouse。Thetownhallisinthehollowfartheron。Thencomesthebighill——
“Whittaker"sHill“——andfromthetopofthishillyoucan，onaclearday，seeformilesacrossthesaltmarshesandoverthebaytotheeastward，andwestasfarasthechurchsteepleinOrham。
Iftherehappenstobeafog，withastrongeasterlywind，youcannotseethemarshesorthebay，butyoucansmellthem，wetandsaltyandsweet。ItisasmellthatthebornBayporterneverforgets，butcarrieswithhiminmemorywhereverhegoes；andthat，inthepalmydaysofthemerchantmarine，waslikely，tobefar，foreverymalebabyinthevillagewasbornwithwebfeet，sopeoplesaid，andwaspredestinedtobeasailor。
WhenHemanAtkinscamebackfromtheSouthSeasearlyinthe"60"s，“richasdockmud，“thoughstillayoungman，hepromptlytoredownhisfather"soldhouse，whichstoodonthecrestofWhittaker"sHill，andbuiltinitsplaceabigimposingresidence。ItwasbyfarthefinesthouseinBayport，andHemanmadeitfinerastheyearspassed。Therewereimitationbrownstonepillarssupportingitsfrontporch，irondogsandscrollworkironbenchesborderingitsfrontwalk，andapairofstoneurns，insummerfilledwithflowers，besideitsbigironfrontgate。
Hemanwasourleadingcitizen，ourrepresentativeinWashington，andthetown"sphilanthropist。HegavetheAtkinsmemorialwindowandtheAtkinstowerclocktotheMethodistChurch。TheAtkinstownpump，alsohisgift，stoodbeforethetownhall。TheAtkinsportraitintheBayportLadies"Librarywasmuchadmired；andthesizeoftheAtkinsfortunewastheprincipalsubjectofconversationatsewingcircle，atthetableof“theperfectboardinghouse，“
aroundthestoveinSimmons"sstore，orwhereverBayporterswereusedtogather。WeneverexactlyworshippedHemanAtkins，perhaps，butwefigurativelydoffedourhatswhenhisnamewasmentioned。
The“CyWhittakerplace“facedtheAtkinsestatefromtheoppositesideofthemainroad，butitwasthegeneralopinionthatitoughttobeashamedtofaceit。Almosteverybodycalledit“theCyWhittakerplace，“althoughsomeoftheyoungersetspokeofitasthe“SeaSightHouse。“Itwasabig，old-fashioneddwelling，gambrel-roofedandbrownanddilapidated。Originallyithadenjoyedthedignifiedseclusionaffordedbyawhitepicketfencewithsquaregateposts，andthepathtoitsseldom-usedfrontdoorhadbeenguardedbyrigidlinesofboxhedge。This，however，wasyearsago，beforethesecondCaptainCyWhittakerdied，andbeforetheHowesfamilyturneditintothe“SeaSightHouse，“ahotelforsummerboarders。
TheHoweses“improved“thehouseandgrounds。Theytoredownthepicketfence，uprootedtheboxhedges，hungasignoverthesacredfrontdoor，andbuiltawideverandaundertheparlorwindows。
Theytookboardersforfiveconsecutivesummers；thentheygaveuptheunprofitableundertaking，returnedtoConcord，NewHampshire，theirnativecity，andlefttheCyWhittakerplacetobeartheravagesofBayportwintersandBayportsmallboysasbestitmight。
Foryearsitstoodempty。Theweedsgrewhighaboutitsfoundations；
thesparrowsbuiltnestsbehindsuchofitsshuttersashadnotbeenrippedfromtheirhingesbyFebruaryno"theasters；itsroofgrewbaldinspotsastheshinglesloosenedandwereblownaway；theswallowsflewinandoutofitsstone-brokenwindowpanes。YearbyyearitbecamemoreofadisgraceintheeyesofBayport"sneatandthriftyinhabitants——forneatandthriftyweare，ifwedosayit。
Theselectmenwouldhavelikedtotearitdown，buttheycouldnot，becauseitwasprivateproperty，havingbeenpurchasedfromtheHowesheirsbythethirdCyWhittaker，CaptainCy"sonlyson，whoranawaytoseawhenhewassixteenyearsold，andwasdisinheritedandcastoffbytheproudoldskipperinconsequence。EachMarch，AsaphTidditt，inhisofficialcapacityastownclerk，hadbeenaccustomedtoreceiveanenvelopewithaSouthAmericanpostmark，andinthatenvelopewasadraftonaBostonbankinghouseforthesumdueastaxesonthe“CyWhittakerplace。“Thedraftsweresigned“CyrusM。Whittaker。“
Butthisparticularyear——theyearinwhichthischroniclebegins——
nodrafthadbeenreceived。Asaphwaitedafewweeksandthenwrotetotheaddressindicatedbythepostmark。Hisletterwasunanswered。ThetaxesweredueinMarchanditwasnowMay。Mr。
Tiddittwroteagain；thenhelaidthecasebeforetheboardofselectmen，andCaptainEbenSalters，chairmanofthataugustbody，alsowrote。ButevenCaptainEben"sauthoritativedemandwasignored。Nexttotheharborappropriation，thequestionofwhatshouldbedoneaboutthe“CyWhittakerplace“filledBayport"sthoughtsthatspring。Noone，however，hadsupposedthattheHonorableHemanmightwishtobuyit。BaileyBangs"ssurprisewasexcusable。
“Whatintheworld，“repeatedBailey，“doesHemanwantofashebanglikethat？Ain"thegotenoughalready？”
Hisfriendshookhishead。
“"Pearsnot，“hesaid。“Ijudgeit"sthisway，Bailey：Heman，he"saproudman——“
“Well，ain"thegotarighttobeproud？”brokeinMr。Bangs，hasteningtoresentanycriticismofthepopularidol。“Cal"lateyouandme"dbeproudifwewasabletocarryasmuchsailashedoes，wouldn"twe？”
“Yes，Iguesslikewewould。Butyouneedn"tgetredinthefaceandstrainyourbilerjustbecauseIsaidthat。Iain"tfindingfaultwithHeman；I"monlytellin"you。He"sproud，asIsaid，andhiswife——“
“She"sdeadthisfouryear。Whatareyouresurrectin"herfor？”
“Land！you"repepperyasaWestInjyomeletthismornin"。LetmealonetillI"vefinished。Hiswife，whenshewasalive，shewasproud，too。Andhisdaughter，Alicia，she"seightyearoldnow，andbyandbyshe"llbegrownupintoahigh-tonedyoungwoman。
Well，Hemanisfur-sighted，andIs"poselikelyhe"sthinkin"ofthedayswhenthere"llbeyoungrichfellers——senatorsand——and——
well，countsandlords，maybe——cruisin"downherecourtin"her。BythattimetheWhittakerplace"llbeaworsedisgracethan"tisnow。
Ipresumehedon"twantthoseswellstositonhisfrontpiazzaandseethecrowsbuildin"nestsintheruinsacrosttheroad。So——“
“Crows！Didyoueverseeacrowbuildanestinahouse？Ineverdid！”
“Oh，belay！Crowsorcanarybirds，whatdifferencedoesitmake？
SOMETHIN""llnestthere，ifit"sonlyA"ntSophronyHallett"shens。SoHemanhewritestotheboard，askin"ifthetaxesispaid，ifwe"veheardanyreasonwhytheyain"tpaid，andwhatwe"regoin"todoaboutit。Ifthere"sasalefortaxeshewantstobefustbidder。Then，whentheplaceishis，hecanteardownorrebuild，justasheseesfit。See？”
“Yes，Isee。Well，IfeelaboutthatthewayJoeDimickfeltwhenheheardthedoctorhadtoldElviryPeppershemuststopsingin"inthechoirorlosehervoicealtogether。"Whicheverhappens"llbeanimprovement，"saysCap"nJoe；andwhateverHemandoes"llhelptheWhittakerplace。Whatdidyoudecideatthemeetin"？”
“Nothin"。Wecan"tdecideyet。Weain"tsureaboutthelawandwewanttowaitaspell，anyhow。ButIknowhow"twillend：Atkins"llgettheplace。Healwaysgetswhathewants，Hemandoes。“
Baileyturnedandlookedbackattheoldhouse，forlornamidstitshuddleofblackberrybriersandweeds，andwiththeubiquitous“silver-leaf“saplingsspringingupinclusterseverywhereaboutitandclosinginonitsdefenselesswallslikesquadsofvictorioussoldierymakingthefinalchargeuponaconqueredfort。
“Well，“sighedMr。Bangs，“sothat"llbetheendoftheoldWhittakerplace，hey？Sho！thingschangeinafeller"slifetime，don"tthey？Youandmecanremember，Ase，whenCap"nCyWhittakerwasoneofthebiggestmenwehadinthistown。Sowashisdadaforehim，theCap"nCythatbuiltthehouse。Iwonderthelooksofthingsherenowdon"tbringthemtwoupoutoftheirgraves。DoyourememberyoungCy——"Whit"weusedtocallhim——or"ReddyWhit，"
"countofhisredhair？Idon"tknow"syoudo，though；guessyou"dgonetoseawhenherunawayfromhome。“
Mr。Tiddittshookhishead。
“No，no！”hesaid。“Iwastohomethatyear。Remember"Whit"？
Well，IshouldsayIdid。Hewasaholyterror——yes，sir！Wan"tnomonkeyshinesordidoscutupinthistownthatyoungCywan"tinto。Fur"sthatgoes，youandmewasin"em，too，Bailey。Wewasallholyterrorsthen。Youngonesnowadaysain"tgotthespunkweusedtohave。“
Hisfriendchuckled。
“That"sso，“hedeclared。“That"sso。Whitwasagood-heartedboy，too，butfulloftheOldScratchandassotinhiswaysashisdad，andifCap"nCywan"tsot，thenthereain"tnosotness。
"You"llgotocollegeandbeaparson，"saystheCap"n。"I"llgotoseaandbeasailor，sameasyoudone，"saysWhit。Andhedid，too；runawayonenight，tookthepackettoBoston，andshippedaboardanAustralianclipper。Cap"nCydidn"tgoafterhimtofetchhimhome。No，sir——ee！notafetch。SenthimaletterplumbtoMelbourneand，sayshe："You"vemadeyourbed；nowlayinit。
Don"tyouneverdasttocomebacktomeoryourma，"hesays。AndWhitdidn"t，hewan"tthatkind。“
“Prettynighkilledtheoldlady——Whit"sma——thatdid，“musedAsaph。“Shediedalittlespellafterwards。Andtheoldmanpinedaway，too，buthenevergiveinoraskedtheboytocomeback。
Stubbornasallget-outtotheend，hewas，andwilledtheplace，allhehadleft，tothemHowesfolks。AndanicemessTHEYmadeofit。YoungCy，he——“
“YoungCy！”interruptedBailey。“We"realwayscallin"him"youngCy，"andyet，whenyoucometothinkofit，hemustbeprettynighfifty-fivenow；"mostasoldasyouandIbe。Wonderifhe"llevercomebackhere。“
“Youbethewon"t！”wastheoracularreply。“Youbethewon"t！
FromwhatIhearhegottobeaseacap"nhimselfandsettleddownthereinBuenosAyres。He"smadeallkindsofmoney，theysay，outofhidesandsuch。Whatheeverboughthisdad"soldplacefor，_I_can"tsee。He"llnevercomebacktothesecommon，one-horselatitudes，nowyoumarkmywordonthat！”
ItwasaprophecyMr。Tiddittwasaccustomedtomakeeachyeartothecrowdatthepostoffice，whenthereceiptforthedraftfortaxescausedhimtowaxreminiscent。TheyoungergenerationhereinBayportregardtheirtownclerkassomethingofanoracle，andthisregardhasmadeAsaphatriflevainandpositive。
Baileychuckledagain。
“WeWASaspunky，dare-devillotintheolddays，wan"twe，Ase？”
hesaid。“Spunkwaskindofborninus，asyoumightsay。Andevennowwe"re——“
TheAtkinstowerclockboomedonce——asolemn，dignifiedstroke。
Mr。Tiddittandhiscompanionstartedandlookedateachother。
“Godfreyscissors！”gaspedAsaph。“Isthathalfpasttwelve？”
Mr。Bangspulledabigwornsilverwatchfromhispocketandglancedatthedial。
“Itis！”hemoaned。“Assure"syou"reborn，itis！We"vekeptKetury"sdinnerwaitin"twentyminutes。Youandmeareinforitnow，AseTidditt！Twentyminuteslate！She"llskinusalive。“
Mr。Tiddittdidnotpausetoanswer，butplungedheadlongdownthehillatarace-horsegait，Baileypoundingathisheels。For“borndare-devils，“self-confessed，theywereanervousandapprehensivepair。
The“perfectboardinghouse“issituatedaquarterofamilebeyond“Whittaker"sHill，“nearlyoppositetheSaltershomestead。Thesign，hungonthepolebythefrontgate，reads，“BayportHotel。
BaileyBangs，Proprietor，“butnooneexceptthestrangerinBayportacceptsthatsignseriously。When，owingtoanunexpectedchangeintheadministrationatWashington，Mr。Bangswasobligedtorelinquishhispositionasourvillagepostmaster，hiswifecametotherescuewiththeproposalthattheyopenaboardinghouse。
“"Whatsoe"eryoufindtodo，"quotedKeturahatsewing-circlemeeting，"doitthenwithallyourmight！"That"sagoodSabbath-
schoolhymntuneandit"sgoodsensebesides。Iintendtomakeitmylifeworktorunjustascompletea——aeatin"andlodgin"
establishmentasIcan。If，whenI"mlaidtorest，theycanputontomygravestone，"Sheruntheperfectboardin"house，"I"LLbesatisfied。“
Thisremark，andsubsequentsimilardeclarations，werewidelyquoted，and，therefore，thoughcasualvisitorsmayrefertothe“BayportHotel，“tousnativestheBangsresidenceisalways“Keturah"sperfectboardinghouse。“Asforthesign"saffirmationofMr。Bangsproprietorship，thatisconsideredthecreamofthejoke。Theideaofmeek，bald-headedlittleBaileyposingasproprietorofanythingwhilehiswifeisondeck，ticklesBayport"ssenseofhumor。
Theperspiringdelinquentspantedintotheyardoftheperfectboardinghouseandtremblinglyopenedthedoorleadingtothediningroom。Dinnerwaswellunderway，andMrs。Bangs，enthronedattheendofthelongtable，behindthesilver-platedteapot，waswaitingtoreceivethem。Thesilencewasappalling。
“Sorrytobealittlebehindhand，Ketury，“stammeredAsaphhurriedly。
“Townaffairsareimportant，ofcourse，andcan"tbeneglected。I——“
“Yes，yes；that"sso，Ketury，“cutinMr。Bangs。
“Yousee——“
“Hum！Yes，Isee。“Keturah"stonewasseveraldegreesbelowfreezing。“Hum！Is"pose"twastownaffairskeptyou，too，hey？”
“Well，well——er——notexactly，asyoumightsay，but——“Baileysqueezedhimselfintothearmchairattheendofthetableoppositehiswife，theendwhich，withsarcasmnotthelesskeenforbeingunintentional，wascalledthe“head。““Notexactlytownaffairs，"twan"tthatkeptme，Ketury，but——My！don"tthemcodcheekssmellgood？Youalwayscouldcookcodcheeks，ifIdosayit。“
Thecomplimentwaswasted。Mrs。Bangshadasermontodeliver，anditstextwasnot“codcheeks。“
“BaileyBangs，“shebegan，“whenIwasbroughttorealizethatmyhusband，althoughapparentlyanable-bodiedman，couldn"tsupportmeasI"dbeenusedtobesupported，andwhenIwasforcedtosupportHIMbykeepin"boarders，Isays，"Ifthere"sonethingthatmyhouseshallstandforit"spunctualpromptnessatmealtimes。I
saynothing，"Isays，"abouttheinconvenienceofgettin"onwithonlyonehiredhelpwhenweoughttohavethree。IfProvidence，initsunscrutablewisdom，"Isays，"hasseenfittolaythisburdenontome，theburdenofahouseholdofboardersandahusbandwhom——"“
AndjustthenthepowerreferredtobyMrs。Bangsintervenedtospareherhusbandtheremainderofthepreachment。Fromthedrivewayoftheyard，besidethedining-roomwindows，cametherattleofwheelsandthetrampofahorse"sfeet。Mrs。MatildaTripp，whosatnearestthewindows，onthatside，roseandpeeredout。
“It"sthedepotwagon，Ketury，“shesaid。“There"ssomebodyinsideit。Iwonderifthey"recomin"here。“
“Transients“werealmostunknownquantitiesattheBayportHotelinMay。Consequently，alltheboardersandthelandladyherselfcrowdedtothewindows。The“depotwagon“haddrawnupbythesteps，andGabeLumley，thedriver，haddescendedfromhisseatandwasdoinghisbesttoopenthedooroftheancientvehicle。Itstuck，ofcourse；thedoorsofalldepotwagonsstick。
“Holdonashake！”commandedsomeoneinsidethecarriage。“WaittillIgetapurchaseonher。Now，then！Allhandstotheropes！
Heave——ho！THEREshecomes！”
Thedoorflewbackwithabang。Amansprangoutuponthelowerstepoftheporch。Theeyeofeveryinmateoftheperfectboardinghousewasonhim。Eventhe“hiredhelp“peeredfromthekitchendoor。
“He"sastranger，“whisperedMrs。Tripp。“Ineverseehimbefore，didyou，Mr。Tidditt？”
Thetownclerkdidnotanswer。Hewasstaringatthedepotwagon"spassenger，staringwithafacetheinterestedexpressionofwhichwaschangingtothatofsurpriseandamazedincredulity。Mrs。
TrippturnedtoMr。Bangs；healsowasstaring，open-mouthed。
“Godfreyscissors！”gaspedAsaph，underhisbreath。“Godfrey——
SCISSORS！Bailey，I——Ibelieve——Iswantoman，Ibelieve——“
“AseTidditt！”exclaimedMr。Bangs，“amIgoin"looney，oristhat——
isthat——“
Neitherfinishedhissentence。Therearetimeswhenlanguageseemssopitifullyinadequate。
CHAPTERII
THEWANDERER"SRETURN
HereinBayport，nowadays，thecollectingof“antiques“isafavoriteamusementofoursummervisitors。Thoseofuswhowerefortunateenoughtopossessasetofnickedbluedishes，awarmingpan，oratallclockwithwoodenwheels，havelongagopartedwiththesetreasuresforconsiderablesums。OddlyenoughSylvanusCahoonhasprofitedmostbythiscraze。Sylvanususedtobejudgedtheunluckiestmanintown；oflatethisjudgmenthasbeenrevised。
ItwasSylvanuswho，confinedtothehousebyanillnessbroughtonbyeatingtoomuch“sugarcake“atafreesociablegivenbytheMethodistSociety，aroseinthenightanddrankcopiouslyofwhathesupposedtobethemedicineleftbythedoctor。Ithappenedtobewater-bugpoison，andSylvanuswasnearlykilledbythedose。
Heisreportedashavingadmittedthathe“didn"tminddyin"somuch，buthatedtodiesuchadummeandeath。“
Whileconvalescenthetooktosmokinginbedandwasburnedoutofhouseandhomeinconsequence。Thenitwasthathiskind-heartedfellowcitizensdonated，forthefurnishingofhisnewresidence，allthecast-offbitsoffurnitureandoddsandendsfromtheirgarrets。“Charity，“observedCaptainJosiahDimickatthetime，“beginsathomewithusBayporters，anditgenerallybeginsupattic，thatbein"nighesttoheaven。“
LaterSylvanussoldmostofthedonationsas“antiques“andmademoneyenoughtherefromtobuyanewplushparlorset。MissAngelinePhinneynevercalledontheCahoonsafterthatwithoutmakingherappearanceatthefrontdoor。“I"llgetsomegoodoutofthatplushsofyIhelpedtopayfor，“declaredAngeline，“ifit"sonlytowearitoutbysettin"onit。“
Therearetwo“antiques“inBayportwhichhavenotyetbeensoldorevenbidfor。OneisGabeLumley"s“depotwagon，“andtheotheris“Dan"lWebster，“thehorsewhichdrawsit。Bothareveryancient，sadlyinneedofupholstery，andjerkyoflocomotion。
Gabewas，asusual，waitingatthestationwhenthedowntrainarrived，ontheTuesday——orWednesday——oftheselectmen"smeeting。
Thetrainwasdue，accordingtothetime-table，atelevenforty-
five。Thistime-table，andthesignboardofthe“BayportHotel“
aretheonlybitsofhumorousliteraturepeculiartoourvillage，unlessweaddthepoliticaleditorialsoftheBayportBreeze。
So，atelevenforty-five，Mr。Lumleywasserenelydozingonthebaggagetruck，whichhehadwheeledtothesunnysideoftheplatform。Atfiveminutespasttwelve，heyawned，stretched，andlookedathiswatch。Then，rollingoffthetruck，hestrolledtotheedgeoftheplatformandspokeauthoritativelyto“Dan"lWebster。“
“Hithere！standstill！”commandedMr。Lumley。
StandingstillbeingDan"l"slongsuit，theorderwasobeyed。
Gabethenloafedtothedoorofthestationandaccostedthedepotmaster，whowasnoddinginhischairbesidethetelegraphinstrument。
“Whereisshenow，Ed？”askedMr。Lumley，referringtothetrain。
“JustleftSouthHarniss。Behereprettysoon。What"syourhurry？
Expectin"anybody？”
“Naw；nobodythatIknowof，special。SophronyHallett"sgonetoOstable，butshewon"tbebacktillto-morrowIcal"late。Hello！
thereshewhistlesnow。“
Needlesstosayitwasthetrain，notthewidowHallett，thathadwhistled。Thedepotmasterrosefromhischair。Ayellowdog，hisproperty，scrambledfrombeneathit，andrushingoutofthedoorandtothefartherendoftheplatform，barkedfuriously。CephasBaker，wholivesacrosstheroadfromthedepot，sloucheddowntohisfrontgate。Hiswifeopenedthedoorofherkitchenandstoodthere，herwetarmswrappedinherapron。ThefiveBakerchildrentoreroundthecornerofthehouse，overthebackfence，andlinedup，whoopingjoyously，ontheplatform。Acloudofwhitesmokebillowedabovetheclumpofcedarsatthebendofthetrack。Thenthelocomotiveroundedthecurveandboredownuponthestation。
“Standstill，Itellyou！”shoutedGabe，addressingthehorse。
Dan"lWebsteropenedoneeye，closeditandrelapsedintoslumber。
Thetrain，acombinationbaggagecarandsmoker，twofreightcarsandapassengercoach，rolledponderouslyalongsidetheplatform。
Fromtheopendoorofthebaggagecarweretossedthemailsackandtwoexpresspackages。Theconductorsteppedfromthepassengercoach。Followinghimcamebrisklyashort，thicksetmanwithareddish-graybeardandgrayish-redhair。
“Goin"downtothevillage，Mister？”inquiredMr。Lumley。“Carriagerighthere。“
Thestrangerinspectedthedriverofthedepotwagon，inspectedhimdeliberatelyfromtoptotoe。Thenhesaid：
“Downtothevillage？Why，yes，Iwouldn"twonder。Say！you"reaLumley，ain"tyou？”
“Why！why——yes，Ibe！How"dyouknowthat？Ain"teverseenyouafore，haveI？”
“Guessnot，“withaquietchuckle。“I"veneverseenyou，either，butI"veseenyournose。I"dknowaLumleynoseifIrunacrossitinChina。“
Thepossessorofthe“Lumleynose“rubbedthatorganinabewilderedfashion。Recoveringinameasurehelaughed，ratherhalf-heartedly，andbeggedtoknowifthetrunk，thenbeingunloadedfromthebaggagecar，belongedtohisprospectivepassenger。Astheanswerwasanaffirmativenod，hesecuredthetrunkcheckanddeparted，stillrubbinghisnose。
Whenhereturned，withthetrunkonthetruck，hefoundthestranger，withhishandsinhispockets，standingbeforeDan"lWebsterandgazingatthatanimalwithanexpressionofacuteinterest。
“Isthisyour——horse？”demandedthenewcomer，pausingbeforethefinalwordofhisquestion。
“It"ssocal"latedtobe，“repliedGabe，withdignity。
“Hum！Doesheworknights？”
“Worknights？No，coursehedon"t！”
“Oh，allright！Thenyoucanwakehimupwithaclearconscience。
Ididn"tknowbutheneededthesleep。What"shisrecord？”
“Record？”
“Yup；histrottin"record。Anybodycanseehe"sbuiltforspeed，narrowinthebeamandsharpforeandaft。ShallIgetaboardthebarouche？”
Thedepotmaster，whowasonhandtohelpwiththetrunk，grinnedbroadly。Mr。Lumleysulkilymadeanswerthathispassengermightgetaboardifhewantedto。Apparentlyhewantedto，forhesprangintothedepotwagonwithabouncethatmadetheoldvehiclerockonitssprings。
“Jerushy！”heexclaimed，“sherollssome，don"tshe？Nevermind，MYballast"llkeepheronanevenkeel。Trunkmadefastastern？
Allright！Say！youmightfurlsomeofthissparecanvasso"sI
cantakeanobservationaswegoalong。Don"tgosofastthatthescenerygetsblurred，willyou？It"sbeensometimesinceImadethiscruise，andI"dratherliketokeepalookout。“
Thedriver“furledthecanvas“——thatis，herolledupthecurtainsatthesidesofthecarryall。Thenheclimbedtothefrontseatandtookupthereins。
“Gitup！”heshoutedsavagely。Dan"lWebsterdidnotmove。
Thepassengerofferedasuggestion。“Whydon"tyoutryhangin"analarmclockinhisfore-riggin"？”heasked。
“Haw！haw！”roaredthedepotmaster。
“Gitup，you——youlump！”bellowedtheharassedMr。Lumley。Dan"lprickeduponeear，thenahoof，andslowlygotunderway。AstheequipagepassedtheBakerhomestead，thewholefamilywasclusteredaboutthegate，staringattheoccupantofthewagon。Thestarewasreturned。
“Wholivesinthere？”demandedthestranger。“Whoarethosefolks？”
“CephBaker"stribe，“wasthesullenanswer。
“Baker，hey？Humph！newfolks，Ipresumelikely。UsedtobeSethSnow"shouse，thatdid。Where"dSethgoto？”
Gabegruntedthathedidnotknow。HebelievedMr。Snowwasdead，haddiedyearsbefore。
“Humph！dead，hey？ThenIknowwherehewent。Doyoueversmoke——
ordoesdrivin"thishorsemakeyoutoonervous？”
Mr。Lumleythawedabitatthesightoftheprofferedcigar。Headmittedthathesmokedoccasionallyandthatheguessed“"twouldn"tinterferewiththedrivin"none。“
“Goodenough！thenwe"lllightup。IcantalkbetterifI"munderaheadofsteam。There"sanewhouse；whobuiltthat？”
The“new“housewasfifteenyearsold，butGabegavethenameofitsbuilder。Then，thinkingthatthecatechisinghadbeenaltogethertooone-sided，heventuredanobservationofhisown。
“Thisisaprettygoodcigar，Mister，“hesaid。“SmokeslikeaSnowflake。“
“Likeawhat？”
“LikeaSnowflake。That"saboutthebeststraightfivecenteryoucangetaroundhere。Simmonsusedtokeep"em，butthedrummer"scartain"tcalledlatelyandhe"sallout。“
“That"sashame。Itoldthetrainboythatthesesmokedlikesomethin"，butIdidn"tknowwhattocallit。Muchobligedtoyou。
Here"sanother；putitinyourpocket。Oh，nothanks；pleasure"sallmine。Who"sSimmons？”
GabedescribedtheSimmonsgeneralstoreanditsproprietor。Thenheadded：
“Iwasnoticin"thattrunkofyours，mister；it"sallplasteredoverwithlabels，ain"tit？Cal"latethattrunk"sdonesometravelin"，hey？”
“Thinkso，doyou？”
“Yup。Gee！I"dliketotravelmyself。Butno！Igottostayallmylifeinthisdead"n"alivehole。IwantedtogotoBostonandclerkinastore，buttheoldmanputhisfootdown，andhereI"vestuckeversence。Gitup，Dan"l！What"sthematterwithyou？”
Thepassengersmiled，buttherewasadreamylookinhisgrayeyes。
“Don"tfindfault，son，“hesaid。“There"sworseplacesintheworldthanoldBayport，andworsejudgmentthanmindin"yourdad。
Don"tforgetthatoryoumaybesorryforitsomeday。“Hesniffedeagerly。“Ah！”heexclaimed，“justsmellthat，willyou？Ain"tthatFINE？”
“Humph！that"stheflats。Youcansmell"emanytimewhenthetide"soutandthewind"sright。Yousee，thetidegoesoutprettyfurhereand——“
“Don"tIknowit？Son，I"vebeenwaitin"thirtyoddyearforthatsmellandhere"tisatlast。Driveslowandletmefilluponit。
Justblowthat——thatSnowstormofyourstheotherwayforaspell，won"tyou？Thanks。“
TherequesttobedrivenslowwassosuperfluousthatMr。Lumleypaidnoattentiontoit。HepuffedindustriouslyattheSnowflakeandwatchedhiscompanion，who，leaningforwardontheseat，wasgazingoutatthetownandthebaybeyondit。The“depothill“isnotashighasWhittaker"sHill，buttheviewisalmostasextensive。
“Excuseme，Mister，“observedGabe，afteraninterval，“butyouain"tsaidwhereyou"regoin"。“
Thepassengercameoutofhisdaydreamwithastart。
“Why，that"sright！”heexclaimed。“SoIhaven"t！Well，now，wherewouldyougo，ifyouwasme？Isthereahotelortavernorsomethin"？”
“Yup。There"stheBayportHotel。"Tain"texactlyahotel，neither。
Wecallittheperfectboardin"house"roundhere。Yousee——“
Heproceededtotellthestoryof“theperfectboardinghouse。“
Hislistenerseemedgreatlyinterested，andalthoughhelaughed，didnotinterruptuntilthetalewasended。
“So！”hesaid，chuckling。“BaileyBangs，hey？StubBangs！Well，well！AndhemarriedKeturyPayson！Howintimedidheeverfindspunkenoughtopropose？AndKeturyrunstheperfectboardin"
house！Well，thatoughttobejobenoughforonewoman。SherunsBailey，too，ontheside，Is"pose？”
“Youbetyou！Hedon"tdasttosay"boo"toachickenwhenshe"s"round。Isay，Mister！Idon"tknow"sIknowyourname，doI？I
judgeyou"vebeenhereaforeso——“
“Yes，I"vebeenherebefore。Whoseisthatbigplaceupthereacrossourbows？Theonewiththecupolaonthemaintruck？”
“That，sir，“saidMr。Lumley，oratorically，“belongstotheHonorableHemanG。Atkins，andit"sprobablythefinestinthiscounty。HemanisourrepresentativeinWashin"ton，and——Didyousayanything？”
Thepassengerhadsaidsomething，buthedidnotrepeatit。Hewasleaningfromthecarriageandgazingsteadilyuptheslopeahead。
Andhisgaze，strangetosay，wasnotdirectedattheimposingAtkinsestate，butatitsoppositeneighbor，theold“CyWhittakerplace。“
Slowly，laboriously，Dan"lWebstermountedthehill。Atthecresthewouldhavepausedtotakebreath，butthedriverwouldnotlethim。
“Gitalong，you！”hecommanded，flappingthereins。
AndthenMr。Lumleysufferedtheshockofasurprise。Thehithertocoolandself-possessedoccupantoftherearseatseemedverymuchexcited。HisbigredhandclaspedMr。Lumley"soverthereins，andDan"lwasbroughttoanabruptstandstill。
“Heaveto！”heordered，sharply，andthetonewasthatofonewhohasgivenmanyordersandexpectsthemtobeobeyed。“Belay！
Whoa，there！Greatlandoflove！lookatthat！LOOKatit！Whodidthat？”
ThematetothebigredhandpointedtothefrontdooroftheWhittakerplace。Gabewasalarmed。
“Donewhat？Donewhich？”hegasped。“Whatyoutalkin"about？
Thereain"tnobodylivesinthere。Thathousehasbeenemptyfor——“
“Where"sthefrontfence？”demandedtheexcitedpassenger。“What"sbecomeofthehedge？Andwhoputupthat——thatdarnedpiazza？”
ThepiazzahadbeenwhereitnowwasalmostsinceMr。Lumleycouldremember。Hehastenedtoreplythathedidn"tknow；hewasn"tsure；hepresumedlikely"twas“themNewHampshireHoweses，“whentheyranasummerboardinghouse。
Thestrangerdrewalongbreath。“Well，ofallthe——“hebegan。
Thenhechoked，hesitated，andorderedhisdrivertoheaveaheadandrunalongsidethehotelasquickastheAlmightywouldlethim。
Gabehastenedtoobey。Hewasnowabsolutelycertainthathiscompanionwasanescapedlunatic，andthesooneranotherkeeperwasappointedthebetter。Theremainderofthetripwasmadeinsilence。
Mrs。Bangsopenedthedooroftheperfectboardinghouseandstoodmajesticallywaitingtoreceivetheprospectiveguest。Overhershoulderspeeredthefacesoftheboarders。
“Goodafternoon，“beganthelandlady。“Ipresumelikelyyouwouldliketo——“
Shewasinterrupted。Thenewcomerturnedtowardherandextendedhishand。
“Hello，Ketury！”hesaid。“Iain"tseenyousenceyouworeyourhairup，butyou"rejustasgood-lookin"asever。Andain"tthatBailey？Yes，"tis，andAsaph，too！Howareyou，boys？Shake！”
Mr。Bangsandhischum，thetownclerk，hademergedfromthedoorway。Theirmouthsandeyeswerewideopenandtheyseemedtobesufferingfromasortofparalysis。
“Well？What"sthematterwithyou？”demandedthearrival。“Ain"ttoostuckuptoshakehandsafteralltheseyears，areyou？”
Bailey"smouthclosedinorderthatit"spossessormightswallow。
Thenitslowlyreopened。
“Iswantoman！”heejaculated。“WELL！Iswantoman！I——Ib"lieveyou"reCyWhittaker！”
“CourseIam。HavetodyemycarrottopifIwanttoplayanybodyelse。Butlookhere，boys，youanswermyquestion：whohadthecheektorigupthatblastedpiazzaonmyhouse？Itstartstocomedownto-morrowmornin"！”
CHAPTERIII
“FIXIN"OVER“
MissAngelinePhinneymadenolessthanninecallsthatafternoon。
Beforebedtimeitwasknown，fromthelasthouseinWoodchuckLanetothefishshantiesatWestBayport，that“youngCy“Whittakerhadcomeback；thathehadcomeback“forgood“；thathewasstayingtemporarilyattheperfectboardinghouse；thathewas“awfulwelloff“——havingmadelotsofmoneydowninSouthAmerica；thatheintendedto“fixover“theWhittakerplace，andthatitwastobefixedover，notinamodernmanner，withplushparlorsets——alaSylvanusCahoon——norwithonyxtablesandblueandgoldchairslikethoseadorningtheAtkinsmansion。Itwastobe，asnearaspossible，areproductionofwhatithadbeeninthetimeofthelate“Cap"nCy，“youngCy"sfather。
“_I_thinkhe"soutofhishead，“declaredMissPhinney，inconfidence，toeachoftheninefemaleswhomshefavoredwithhercalls。“Notcrazy，youunderstand，butsortoftouchedintheupperstory。IsayssotoMatildyTripp，saiditrightout，too：
"Matildy，"Isays，"he"sgotascrewlooseupaloftjustassureasyou"reabornwoman！""Whatmakesyouthinkso？"saysshe。
"Well，"saysI，"doyous"poseanybodythatwan"tfoolishwouldbeforspendin"goodmoneyonanoldhousetomakeitOLDER？"Isays。
Goin"toteardownthepiazzathefustthing！Perfectlygoodpiazzathatcostninety-eightdollarsandsixtycentstobuild；I
know，becauseIseethebillwhentheHoweseshaditdone。Andhe"sgoin"tosetoutboxhedges，somethin"thatain"tbeenthestyleinthistownsenceCongressmanAtkinspulleduphis。"Whatintheworld，Cap"nWhittaker，"saysItohim，"doyouwantofboxhedges？Homelyandstiffandfunerallookin"！Imighthave"emaroundmygraveintheburyin"ground，"Isays，"butnowhereselse。""Allright，Angie，"sayshe，"youshallhave"emthere；
I"llcutsomeslipspurposeforyou。It"llbeapleasure，"hesays。Nowain"tthatcrazytalkforagrownman？”
MissPhinneywasnottheonlyoneinourvillagetoquestionCaptainCyWhittaker"ssanityduringthenextfewmonths。Themajorityofourpeopledidn"tunderstandhimatall。Hewasgenerallyliked，foralthoughhehadmoney，hedidnotputonairs，buthehadhisownwayofdoingthings，andtheywerenotBayportways。
Truetohispromise，hehadasquadofcarpentersbusy，onthedayfollowinghisarrival，tearingdowntheloathedpiazza。Thesecarpenters，andmore，werekeptbusythroughoutthatentirespringandwellintothesummer。Thencamepaintersandgardeners。Thepiazzadisappeared；anewpicketfence，exactlyliketheoldonetorndownbytheHoweses，waserected；newshutterswerehung；newwindowpaneswereset；theroofwasnewlyshingled。CaptainCy，Senior，had，inhisday，cherishedaNewEnglandfondnessforwhiteandgreenpaint；thereforethenewfencewaswhiteandthehousewaswhiteandtheblindsabrilliantgreen。Rowsofboxhedge，theplantsbroughtfromBoston，weresetoutoneachsideofthefrontwalk。TheHowesfront-doorbell——aclamorousgong——wasremoved，andaglassknobattachedtoaspringbelloftheold-fashioned“jingle“varietytookitsplace。Anold-fashionedflowergarden——
Cap"nCy"smotherhadlovedposies——waslaidoutonthewestlawnbeyondthepeartrees。Allthesechangesthecaptainsuperintended；
whentheywerecompleteheturnedhisattentiontointeriordecoration。
AndnowCaptainCyproceededto，literally，astonishthenatives。
AmongtheHowes“improvements“weregiltwallpapersandmodernfurnitureforthelowerfloorofthehouse。Thefurnituretheyhadtakenwiththem；thewallpaperhadperforcebeenleftbehind。Andthecaptainhadeveryscrapofthatpaperstrippedfromthewalls，andthelatterre-coveredwithquaint，ugly，old-fashionedpatterns，stripesandrosesandfloweredsprayswithimpossiblebirdsflittingamongthem。TheBassettdecoratorshaspastedthegiltimprovementovertheoldWhittakerpaper，anditwastheWhittakerpaperthatthecaptaindidhisbesttomatch，sendingsampleshere，there，andeverywhereintheeffort。Then，uponthewallshehungold-fashionedpictures，suchasBayportdwellershadlongagorelegatedtotheirattics，pictureslike“FromShoretoShore，““ChristianViewingtheCityBeautiful，“and“SigningtheDeclaration。“Totheseheadded，bringingthemfromthecrowdedgarretofthehomestead，oilpaintingsofshipscommandedbyhisfatherandgrandfather，andfamilyportraits，executed——whichisapeculiarlyfittingword——bydeceasedlocalartistsinoilandcrayon。
Heboardedupthefireplaceinthesittingroomandinstalledabase-burnerstove，resurrectedfromthetinsmith"sbarn。Hepurchasedafull“hairclothset“ofparlorfurniturefromoldMrs。
Penniman，whoneverhadbeenknowntosellanyofherhoardedbelongingsbefore，eventothe“antiquers，“andwouldn"thavedonesonow，haditnotbeenthatthecaptain"sofferwastooprincelytobereal，andtheoldladyfearedshemightbedreamingandwouldwakeupbeforeshereceivedthemoney。AndfromTrumettoOstablehejourneyed，buyingachairhereandatablethere，braidedragmatsfromthisone，andcordedbedsteadsand“risingsun“quiltsfromthat。AtleasthalfofBayportbelievedwithGabeLumleyandMissPhinneythat，ifCaptainCyhadnotescapedfromahomefortheinsane，hewasalikelycandidateforsuchaninstitution。
Atthetableoftheperfectboardinghousethecaptainwasnotinclinedtobecommunicativeregardinghisreasonsandhisintentions。Hewasaprimefavoritethere，praisingKeturah"scooking，jokingwithAngelineconcerningwhathewaspleasedtocallher“giddy“mannerofdressingandwearing“sidecurls，“andtellingyarnsofSouthAmericandressandbehavior，whichwouldprobablyhaveshockedMrs。Tripp——shehavingrecentlylefttheMethodistchurchtojointhe“Come-Outers，“becausetheSundayservicesoftheformerwere，withtheorganandapaidchoir，altogether“tooplay-actin"“——iftheyhadnotbeensointeresting，andifCaptainCyhadnotalwaysconcludedthemwiththeobservation：“Butthere！youcan"texpectnothin"morefromignorantcrittersdeniedtheprivilegesofcongregationalsingin"andexperiencemeetin"s；hey，Matilda？”
Mrs。Trippwouldsighandadmitthatshesupposednot。
“OnlyIdowishMr。Daniels，OURminister，mighthaveachancetopreachover"em，poorthings！”
“SodoI，“withacovertwinkatMrs。Bangs，whowasastanchadherentoftheregularfaith。“SouthAmerica"dbejusttheplaceforhim；ain"tthatso，Keturah？”
Heevadedallpersonalquestionsputtohimbytheboarders，explainingthathewasrenovatingtheoldplacejustforfun——healwayshadhadagangofmenworkingforhim，anditseemednaturalsomehow。Buttothefriendsofhisboyhood，AsaphTiddittandBaileyBangs，hetoldtherealtruth。
“Iswantoman！”exclaimedBailey，almosttearfully，asthetriowanderedthroughtheroomsoftheCyWhittakerplace，dodgingpaperhangersandplasterers；“Iswantoman，Whit，ifitdon"talmostseemasthoughIwasaboyagain。Why！it"syourdad"shousecomebackalive，itisso！Lookatthissettin"room！Seem"sifI
couldseehimnowa-settin"bythaterestove，andMrs。Whittaker，yourma，overtherea-sewin"，andoldCap"nCy——yourgranddad——
snoozin"inthatbigarmchair——Why！why，whit！it"stheveryimageofthechairhealwayssetin！”
CaptainCylaughedaloud。
“It"smoren"that，Bailey，“hesaid；“it"sTHEchair。"Twasupattic，allbustedandcrippled，butIhaditmadeoverlikenew。
Andthere"sgranddad"spicture，lookin"justasIrememberhim——
onlyhewan"tquitesomuchofafrozenwaximageashe"spaintedthere。I"mgoin"tohangitwhereitalwayshung，overthemantelpiece，nexttothelookin"glass。
“Greatlandoflove，boys！”hewenton，“youfellersdon"tknowwhatthismeanstome。Manyandmany"sthetimeI"vehadthisoldhouseandthisoldroominmymind。I"veseen"emaboardshipinahowlin"galeofftheHorn。I"veseen"emdowninSurinamofahotnight，whentherewan"tabreathscurcelyandtheCaribswentarounddressedinahandkerchiefandapapercigar，anditmadeyouwishyoucould。I"veseen"em——butthere！everytimeI"veseen"emI"vesworethatsomedayI"dcomebackandLIVE"em，andnow，bythebigdipper！hereIam。Oh，Itellyou，chummies，youwanttobefiredOUTofahomeandoutofatowntoappreciate"em！NotthatIblametheoldman；heandIwastoomuchaliketocruiseincompany。ButBayportIwasbornin，andintheBayportgraveyardtheycanplantmewhenI"mreadyforthescrapheap。It"sinthebloodand——Why，seehere！Don"tITALKlikeaBayporter？”
“Yousartindo！”repliedAsaphemphatically。
“Abody"dthinkyou"dbeendiggin"clamsandpickin"cranberriesinBassett"sHollerallyourlifelong，tohearyou。“
“Youbet！Well，that"spride；that"swhatthatis。Ipridedmyselfonhangin"totheBayporttwangthroughthickandthin。
AmongalltheSpanish"Carambas"and"MadredeDioses"itdidmegoodtocomeoutwithagoodoldYankee"darn"onceinawhile。
Keptmefeelin"likeawhiteman。Oh，I"maWhittaker！_I_knowit。AndI"vegotalltheWhittakerpig-headedness，Iguess。Andbecausetheoldman——blesshisheart，Isaynow——toldmeI
shouldn"tBEaWhittakernomore，norlivelikeaWhittaker，I
simplysworeupanddownIwouldbeoneandcomebackhere，whenI"dmademypile，toheaveanchorandstayonetillIdie。Maybethat"sfoolishness，butit"sme。“
HepuffedvigorouslyatthepipewhichhadtakentheplaceoftheSnowflakecigar，andadded：
“Takethisoldsettin"room——why，hereitis；see！Here"sdadinhischairandmainhers，and，ifyougobackfarenough，granddadinhis，justasyousay，Bailey。Andhere"sme，alittleshaver，squattin"onthefloorbythestove，lookin"atthepicturesinaheapofGodey"sLady"sBook。Andsaysdad，"Bos"n，"hesays——heusedtocallme"Bos"n"inthosedays——"Bos"n，"saysdad，"rundowncellarandfetchmeupapitcherofcider，that"sagoodfeller。"
Yes，yes；that"sthisroomasI"veseenitinmymindeversinceI
tiptoedthroughitthenightIrunaway，withmydudsinabundleundermyarm。DoyouwonderIwasfightin"madwhenIsawwhatthatHowestribehaddonetoit？”
SuperintendingthemakingoveroftheoldhomeoccupiedmostofCaptainCy"sdaylighttimethatsummer。HiseveningswerespentatSimmons"sstore。WehavenoclubsinBayport，strictlyspeaking，forthesewingcircleandtheShakespeareReadingSocietyareexclusivelyfeminineinmembership；thereforeSimmons"sstoreisthegatheringplaceofthosemaleswhoarebachelorsorwidowersorwhoaresufficientlyfreefrompetticoatgovernmenttoriskanoccasionaleveningout。AsaphTiddittwasaregularsojourneratthestore。BaileyBangs，happeningintopurchasefiftycents"
worthofsugarortohavethemolassesjugfilled，lingeredoccasionally，butnotoften。CaptainCyexplainedBailey"sabsenceincharacteristicfashion。
“Variety，“observedthecaptain，“isthespiceoflife。Baileygetstalkenoughtohome。What"stheuseofhiscomin"upheretogetmore？”
“Oh，Idon"tknow，“saidJosiahDimick，withagrin，“welethimdosomeofthetalkin"himselfuphere。Downattheboardin"houseKeturahandAngiePhinneydoitall。“
“Yes。Still，ifafellerwascondemnedtoliveoverabilerfactoryhewouldn"thankertogetajobINit，wouldhe？WhenBaileywasadelegatetotheMethodistConferenceupinBoston，himandacrowdvisitedthedeefanddumbasylum。When"twastimetogo，hewasmissin"，andtheyfoundhiminthefemalewardlookin"
attheinmates。Saidthatthesightofallthemwomen，everyoneof"emnotabletosayaword，wasthemostwonderfulthingeverhelaideyeson。Saiditmadehimfeelkindofreverentandholy，almostasifhewasinParadise。SoAseTiddittsays，anyway；it"shisyarn。“
“"Tain"tnuther，CyWhittaker！”declaredtheindignantAsaph。“IfyouexpectI"mgoin"tofatherallyourlies，you"remistaken。“
ThecrowdatSimmons"sdiscusspolitics，asageneralthing；stateandnationalpoliticsintheirseasons，butcountypoliticsandlocalaffairsalways。ThequestioninBayportthatsummer，asidefromthatoftheharborappropriation，waswhoshouldbehiredasdownstairsteacher。Ourschoolhouseisatwo-storybuilding，withaschoolroomoneachfloor。Thelowerroom，wherethelittletotsbeginwiththeir“C——A——TCat，“andprogressuntiltheyhavemasteredtheFourthReader，iscalled“downstairs。““Upstairs“
is，ofcourse，thesecondstory，wheretheolderchildrenaretaught。Tohandlesomeofthe“bigboys“upstairsisataskforahealthyman，andsuchaoneusuallyfillstheteacher"spositionthere。Downstairsbeing，intheory，atleast，lessstrenuous，ispresidedoverbyawoman。
MissSeabury，whohadbeendownstairsteacherforonelivelyterm，hadresignedthatspringintearsandhumiliation。Herscholarshadenjoyedthemselvesandwouldhavelikedhertocontinue，butthecommitteeandthetownspeoplethoughtotherwise。Therewasageneralfeelingthatenjoymentwasnotthewholeaimofeducation。
“Betty，“saidCaptainDimick，referringtohissmallgranddaughter，“hasdonefustratesofur"smarksmanshipandlungtrainin"goes。
Ical"lateshecanhitanailheadtenfootoffwithaspitballthreetimesoutoffour，andshecanwhisperloudenoughtobeunderstoodinJericho。But，notwishingtobeunreasonable，stillIshouldliketohaveherspell"door"withoutan"e。"I"vealwaysbeenusedtoseein"itspelledthatwayand——well，I"mkindofold-
fashioned，anyway。“
TherewasadifferenceofopinionconcerningMissSeabury"ssuccessor。AportionofthetownspeoplewereforhiringagraduateoftheStateNormalSchool，ayoungwomanwithmoderntraining。
Others，rememberingthatMissSeaburyhadgraduatedfromthatschool，wereforprovedabilityandlessup-to-datemethods。TheselatterhadselectedacandidateinthepersonofaMissPhoebeDawes，aresidentofWellmouth，andteacheroftheWellmouth“downstairs“forsomeyears。TheargumentsatSimmons"swerehotones。
“What"stheuseofhirin"somebodyfromrightnextdoortous，asyoumightsay？”demandedAlpheusSmalley，clerkatthestore。
“Don"twewantourteachin"tobeabreastofthetimes，andisWellmouthabreastofANYthing？”
“It"sabreastofthebay，that"saboutall，Iwillgivein，“
repliedMr。Tidditt。“But，thewayIlookatit，weneeddisCIPlinemore"nanythingelse，andPhoebeDaweshashadthebestdisCIPlineinherschool，that"sbeenknownintheselatitudes。Order？Why，say！EbenSalterstoldmethatwhenhevisitedherroomoverthere"twassostillthathedidn"tdasttoruboneshoeagainstt"other，itsoundedupso。Hehadtosetstillandbearhischilblainsbesthecould。AndPOPULAR！Why，whenshehintedthatshemightleaveinMay，herscholarsmore"nha"fof"em，bustoutcryin"。Nowyouhearme，I——“
“Itseemstome，“putinThaddeusSimpson，whoranthebarbershopandwassomethingofapolitician，“itseemstome，fellers，thatwe"dbetterwaitandhearwhatMr。Atkinshastosayinthismatter。Iguessthat"swhatthecommittee"lldo，anyhow。Wewouldn"twanttogocontrarytoHeman，noneofus；hey？”
“Tad“SimpsonwasknowntobedeepinCongressmanAtkins"sconfidence。Thementionofthegreatman"snamewasreceivedwithreverenceandnodsofapproval。
“That"sright。Wemustn"tdonothin"todispleaseHeman，“wasthegeneralopinion。
CaptainCydidnotjointhechorus。Herefilledhispipeandcrossedhislegs。
“Humph！”hegrunted。“HemanAtkinsseemstobe——Givemeamatch，Ase，won"tyou？Thanks。Iunderstandthere"saspecialprayermeetin"atthechurchto-morrownight，Alpheus。What"sitfor？”
“For？”Mr。Smalleyseemedsurprised。“It"stoprayforrain，that"swhat。Youknowit，Cap"n，aswell"sIdo。Ain"teverybody"sgardendryin"upandthepondssolowthatweshan"tbeabletogetwaterforthecranberryditchesprettysoon？There"sneedtopray，Ishouldthink！”
“Humph！Seemsaroundaboutwayofgettin"athing，don"tit？Whydon"tyoutelegraphtoHemanandaskhimtofixitforyou？Savetime。“
Thisremarkwasreceivedinhorrifiedsilence。TadSimpsonwasthefirsttorecover。
“Cap"n，“hesaid，“youain"tmetMr。Atkinsyet。Whenyoudo，you"llfeelsameastherestofus。He"scomin"homenextweek；
thenyou"llsee。“
ApartatleastofMr。Simpson"sprophecyprovedtrue。TheHonorableAtkinsdidcometoBayportthefollowingweek，accompaniedbyhislittledaughterAlicia，thehousekeeper，andtheAtkinsservants。
TheHonorableandhisdaughterhadbeen，sincetheadjournmentofCongress，onapleasuretriptotheYosemiteandYellowstonePark，andnowtheyweretoremaininthemansiononthehillforsometime。Thebighousewasopened，thestoneurnsburstintorefulgentbloom，theirondogswererefreshedwithacoatofblackpaint，andthebigirongatewasswungwide。Bayportsatupandtooknotice。
AngelinePhinneywasinherglory。
ThemeetingbetweenCaptainCyandMr。Atkinstookplacethemorningafterthelatter"sreturn。Thecaptainandhistwochumshadbeeninspectingtheprogressmadebythecarpentersandwereleaningoverthenewfence，thenjusterected，butnotyetpainted。
Downthegravelwalkofthemansionacrosstheroadcamestrollingitsowner，silk-hatted，side-whiskered，benignant。
“Godfrey！”exclaimedAsaph。“There"sHeman。Seehim，Whit？”
“Yup，Iseehim。Seemstobeheadin"thisway。“
“I——Idobelievehe"scomin"across，“whisperedMr。Bangs。“Yes，heis。He"srealeveryday，Cy。HEwon"tmindifyouain"tdressedup。“
“Won"the？That"scomfortin"。Well，I"lldothebestIcanwithoutstimulants，asthedoctorsays。Ifyouhearmykneesrattlejustnudgeme，willyou，Bailey？”
Mr。Tiddittremovedhishat。Baileytouchedhis。CaptainCylookedprovokinglyindifferent；heevenwhistled。
“Goodmornin"，Mr。Atkins，“hailedthetownclerk，raisinghisvoicebecauseofthewhistle。“I"mproudtoseeyoubackamongus，sir。HopeyouandAliciahadanicetimeoutWest。Howisshe——
prettysmart？”