Mary-'Gusta

n' to run up to Boston just for a day on business and that Mary-'Gusta had better go along with him for company. Zoeth could tend store and get along all righ

visited the city a number of times during the past few

t the offices of two or three of his old friends-ship-chandlers and marine outfitters on Commercial Street and Atlantic Avenue-and then the Captain, looking at his wa

ar of the Common and the State House and

Shad?" Shadrach, who had been consulting a page of his pocket memorandum book, replied that he cal'lated he'd got his bearin's, and, to the girl's

ich crackled with starch. She looked as if she too h

I thought so. I ain't so much of a wreck yet but that

ilot statement with uncomprehend

th's here. Are you the ones he

ithout. The maid ushered them into a parlor where old mahogan

he said. "I'll tell M

'Gusta turned to the Cap

did you come HERE to see Mr. Keith? Coul

Not today I couldn't," he

you want to

ot a hen on, as the feller said. Say, this is kind of a swell house, ain't it? And clean-my soul! Judas! did I mo

n person but her face, although sharp, was not unkind in expression and her plainly arranged hair was white. Mary-'Gusta liked her look

Keith. "Glad to see you. Foun

found it,

t have any difficulty.

and Mr. Keit

I want to introduce you

bowed wit

o, Captain Go

" stammered Shadrach, rather embarrassed at a

"is Miss Mary Lathrop. Miss Lathrop,

. Wyeth's gaze had been fixed upon her since

e'll have luncheon. You're just in time

sment reached its heig

think of it, you know. We-we ain't a mite hungry. Had

taken that early train myself. If you're not hungry you ought to be and luncheon is r

iece will come with me. Luncheon will be ready in five minutes. Come, Mary. That's your name-Mary-isn't it? I'm glad to hear it. It's plain and it's sensible and I like it. The employment bureau s

e dispatch. The cups and saucers were of thin, transparent China, with pictures of mandarins and pagodas upon them. They looked old-fashioned and they were; Mrs. Wyeth's grandfather had bought them himself in Hongkong in the days when he commanded a clipper ship and made voyages to the Far

at ease and full of fun and, after a time, a little of Shadrach's self-consciousness disappeared. When he learned that grandfather Wyeth had been a seafaring man he came out of his shell sufficient

ness I spoke to you about, Mary-'Gusta," explained Shadrach, confidentially. "We'll be back pretty soon. I cal

," declared Mrs. Wyeth promptly

m. If she won't

be in the way I shoul

stammered Shadrach.

were out of the house

any words, does she? When it comes to speakin' what's in her mind she do

"She prides herself on that. But she is as square as a brick. She

lkin' myself. But say, if every woman was like her there wouldn't be many sewin' circles, woul

t she had been undergoing a rather vigorous cross-examination. Mrs. Wyeth had not talked a great deal herself and her manner, though brusque and matter of fact, was kind; but she had asked

the room. Keith raised his eyebrows inquiringly. She nod

d. While the Captain and Mr. Keith were whispering to

et, sensible girl, and I don't meet as many of that kind no

and the Captain walked along Pinckney Street together. "Why

tell," he said. "Sometimes you meet f

oes all this mean, anyway? Why did you go to her house? An

's time for the critter to come off the nest you'll see what's been hatched same as the res

he is a lady-a real lady, I think-and I'm sure I should like her very much when I knew her

a chalk mark since I went to school. I don't know what her husband died of, but I'll bet

business, whatever it might be, had been transacted when her uncle and Mr. Keith took their short walk together after luncheon. Captain Shadrach seemed to consider his Boston errand done

or during the homeward journey, referred to the "hen" in which he and his friend from Chicago were mutually interested. It was not until nine o'clock that

rtner a look and received one in r

e news for you. I cal'late you've been wonderin' a little mit

wondered-just a little," she

ll, the business is done and it

ncle Shad! How ca

th have been thinkin' about you a good deal lately and we've

reated me

better'n than stay here in South Harniss and keep store. Keepin' store's all right for old hulks like Zoeth Hamilton and Shad Gould,

you talking about? Cru

nd Sol Higgins's son. Selling coffins may be a good job, I don't say 'tain't; somebody's got to do it and we'll all have to

rld have I got to do with Dan Higgin

you must go to school up to Boston, at the Misses Cabot's school there. You'll board along with that Mrs. Wyeth, the one we met today. She's a

hat, and of all unexpected and impossible hatchings hers was the most complete. Th

hat you and Uncle Zoeth have been in conspiracy to

ach n

" he declared. "Me and Z

was Mr. Keith who put the idea i

Why is i

is. It's r

let's just gone, for one. Don't you think we figger to do as much for our girl as Becky Mullet can do

; what difference

now you know it. Now, be right down honest; wouldn't you like to have a couple of years, say, at a school like that, if you could have 'em ju

at very thing; she coul

glad. But Irene's case and mine are differe

wouldn't go 'cause she'd think she'd ought to stay here and look out for us. Well, Mary-'Gusta, you listen to me. Zoeth and

ut

d room along with Mrs. Wyeth and I've arranged for your schoolin' at the Cabot place. Yes, and I've d

leave her uncles to attend any finishing school. They went to theirs vowing that she should.

uppose you wanted us to do somethin' to please you, you'd expect us to do it, wouldn't you? Anyhow, yo

tners watched her anxiously. Then she asked an unusu

he asked. "Have I mo

drach, however, answered p

nto the thing careful and deliberate? And didn't I pay your first year's schoolin' yesterday? Don'

onger. Then she rose and, crossin

e I think you mean it and that it will pleas