第3章
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。