Galusha the Magnificent

extremely likely to rain again at any moment. The road between Wellmouth Centre, the village in which Mr. Pulcifer had been spending the afternoon, and East Wellmouth, the community whic

s in sight; along the East Wellmouth road there are few dwellings, for no one but a misanthrope or a hermit would select that particular section as

confidence and his manner self-satisfaction quite as serene. His plaid cap was tilted carelessly down toward his right ear, the tilt being balanced by the upward cock of his cigar toward his left ear. The light-colored topcoat with the soiled collar was open sufficiently at the throat to show its wearer's chins and a tasty section of tie and cameo scarf-p

ning local political opinion and drift. Mr. "Raish" Pulcifer-no one in Ostable county ever referred to him as Horatio-had already held the positions of town clerk, selectman, constable and postmaster. Now, owing to an unfortunate shift in the party vote, the public was, temporar

erged from that room three dollars and seventy-two cents ahead. No wonder he sang as he drove homeward. No wonder he looked quite care free. And, as a matter of fact, care free he was, that is, as care free as one is permitted to be in this care-ridden world. Down underneath his bright exterior

e main road joined a cross country byroad, Raish drew up and climbed out to light the car lamps, which were of the old-fashioned type requiri

ut-but will you kindl

the East Wellmouth road any sort of voice sounding unexpectedly just above one's head is startling. Mr. Pulcifer's match went out, he star

ce. "I'm afraid I startled you. I

observed Raish,

Mr. Pulcifer, rubbing his bumped head and puffing from surpris

rby hat. Then he caught the glitter of spectacles beneath the hat brim. Next his attention centered upon a large and bright y

"I don't want nothin'-

t-pardo

n' at all. I've

ed to find this s

tion, during which Raish scratched another match.

ond lamp. Then he straightened once m

don't seem to. I don't want to buy nothin'. I've

l you want?

never buy nothin' of peddlers. So you're just wastin' y

tory to climbing to the driver's seat, but

I'm afraid I-that is, I appear to be lost. I merely wish to as

n describing it. It was not the face of a peddler, the ordinary kind of peddler, certainly-and the mild brown eyes, eyes a trifle nearsighted, behind the round, gold-rimmed spectacles, were not those of a sharp trader

, seemingly embarrassed by the Pulcifer stare. "I-I w

or had failed to dislodge, from the corner of his mouth, snap

, he don't live in Wellmouth. E

! Are yo

I'm sure. Kn

, the man at the

he Wellmouth dep

y mistake. It was the first Wellmouth called, you know, and I-I suppose I caught the name

h depot? It's worse'n lon

scarcely conceive of the Almighty

E

me. I inquired of the young m

oward? Y

ow him,

onizingly, "there's mighty few folks in this n

nformed me that there was no direct conveyance from the South Wellmouth station t

Lem Lovett's

I was to be left. From there I was to follow another road-ah-on foot, you know-until I reached a second crossroad whic

I can't get a-hold of is how you come to fetch up way off here. The

I was quite sure of it. It seemed to

se told you to turn in at. THAT would have fetched you to the Centre. Instead of doin' it you kept on as you was goin' and here you be 'way out

ell be. He put the yellow suitcase down in the mud and looked wearily up and down the

ear me!" And then added, un

ntly. A new idea was beginning

suddenly, "you're in a

am-I fear I am. Is it-is it a V

Three good long

e-ah-the r

am ain't so bad, but if you step off it you

me! De

ant to go to the Centre for? Hall don't live th

ue. So you said. But the So

tell you, Mister, I'm goin' to East Wellmouth myself. Course I don't make a business of carryin' passengers and th

the first time showed a ray of hope. T

ind it possible to take me with you in your car-if you COULD do me so great a favor, I should be only too happy

ded squarely upon the shou

possible thing. That's me, that is. I shouldn't think of chargin' you a cent, but of course this cruise is a

reasonable. Very generous of you

less what he would have called "chicken-feed stuff." Mr. Pulcifer was East Wellmouth's leading broker in real estate, in cranberry bog property, its leading promoter of deals of all ki

he said, blithely. "All

ully. Raish, stowing the suitcase between his feet, noticed that his sho

you, Mister?" he observed. "Oh-er-what d

do you do, Mr. Pulcif

, or used to be. You any relation t

aware. Ours is a Bosto

I see. Yes, yes. Wha

my name i

AT did you

It IS an

t cal'late as I ever hear

lus

o children, ain't it? There's lots of queer things in the worl

e upholstered seat as if he found the posi

"'There are more things in heaven and earth, Ho

but his jerk of surprise sent the ca

did you know my

ou told me. It is

-Horatio. I never told

d the smile made hi

isn't it?" he observed

wha

me, Mr.-ah-Pulcifer. My using it was an acci

to see plainly, but one or two points were obvious. For instance, the yellow leather suitcase was brand new and the overcoat was old. It was shiny about the cuffs. The derby hat-and in October, in Wellmouth, derby hats are seldom worn-the derby hat

methin' overboard that time

wn derby as far down upo

ink it fitted me as it should, but he said that was because I wasn't used to it. I doubt if

n't it?" inq

t this one at a small shop near the station in Boston. I'm af

n' from when your o

he moun

Mount

es

y something more. This the passenger did not do. Mr. Pulcifer whistl

ation to Jos

your

u if you was a relation of Josh's-of Hall'

are not related.

any Bangses in that family. Hi

G your

hoon; Cahoon was her name afor

sure.... Now, really, t

's fu

en, so to speak, catching the train of his thought with a jerk and hurrying on again. "I underst

een roars. His conviction that his passenger w

business, Mr. Bangs?"

d with the Archaeological Department of

ould have conveyed an equal amount of understanding to the Pulcifer mind. However, it was a fix

es, yes. Cal'latin' to stay he

dvise rest and-ah-outdoor air and all that. I tried several places, but I di

re to the Cape

N

was born right here in East Wellmouth and I've lived here for fifty-two y

think of investing a little money in real estate "that'll be wuth gold dollars to you-yes, sir, gold dollars-" he, Horatio G. Pulcifer, would be willing to point out and exhibit just the particular bit of real esta

e-I have, as I say, been somewhat unwell of late, and the fatigue of walking-I DO hope yo

umps of pines shutting in the road on both sides, and began to descend a long slope. And through the fog and blackness at the foot of t

that Mrs. Noah may have used when her husband

ir," he declared, proudly. "Ye

t invisible. Mr. Bangs made out a few houses, a crossroads, a small store, and that was abo

ve heard it ever since I left the train, I beli

," replied Raish, briskly.

to the side of the

eated Mr. Pulcifer. "Here's w

onished. "Right here?" he ask

you knew in your life. Why

all. You said-I think you spoke of Mr. Hall's cottage as being-ah-off th

tation. He was somewhat taken aback, but before he could think of a good excuse his companion spoke again. He was leaning forward, peering out at the house before which the car h

E this is the Hall c

in East Wellmouth all my life and Josh Hall's

it did not appear to be. Mr. Pulcife

n name?" he asked. "The-th

-Why? What's

en a mistake. Is this Mr

r. Don't go to meetin' much, Josh

nside pocket of his coat. "If I-Would you mind holding this for me?

n from a big and worn pocketbook. One of the handful was a postcard with a photograph upon its back. It was a photograph of a pretty, old-fas

you SEE," he added, waving an agitated hand toward the gray-shingled dwelling beneath the silver-le

rd and stared at it. His bro

' to find? This is a picture of the old Parker place over to Wellmouth Centre. I t

I never could have said Jo

'Josh Hall' why

; I thought you said 'George.' My friend's name is George Hall. He

"is he a tall, bald-headed man

yes,

the fields chasin' bugs and g

y is his profession

eant him 'twould have been all right. I forgot there was a Hall livin' in t

gho

Kind of a joke 'tis. And say, this is kind of a joke, to

tempt at a la

I do now?" he

over on the corner there? That's Erastus Beebe's store and Ras is a good friend of mine. He's got an extry horse and team and he lets 'em out sometimes. You step into the store and ask Ras to hitch up and drive you back to the Centre. Tell him I sent you. Say you're a friend of Raish Pulcifer's and that I said treat you right. Don't forget: 'Raish says treat me right.' You say that to

to it. The engine of the Pulcifer car had not stopped running so Raish was not obliged to get o

ight, Mr. Ban

m very much obliged to you, I am indeed. I'

's all right. Don't say a w

t, sir...

t start. It's owner's next rema

ow. Still, such things are-er-kind of uncertain and-er-sendin' bills is a nuisance, so perhaps 't

Little matter? I'm a

you over. Course it don't amount to nothin', but I kind of

ussed." He hurriedly dragg

he stammered over and over again. "I quite f

ime. Mr. Pulcifer took the three one dollar

an to move. "Anybody's liable to forget. Do it myself sometimes. W

Store." There was a kerosene lamp burning dimly upon the counter within, but the door was locked. He pounded on the door and shook it, but no one answered. Then, remembering Mr. Pulcifer's instructions, he entered the yard behind the store, found the door of Mr. Beebe's house and knocked upon that. There was not even a light in

st now a weak and long-suffering one. He waded and slopped back to the store platform, where he put down his suitcase and started on a short tour of exploration.

pointing along the crossroad and off to the right. Galusha paid little attention to this sign; it was the other nailed beneath it which caught and held his attention. It

red his favori

! Why, d

re was no mistake, his firs

ing a good many scraps of paper upon the platform and stopping to pick them up again, he at length found what he was looking for. It was an advertisement to

llmouth, Mass. Rest, sea air, and pleasant people: Go

month before. He had not quite understood the "NO FRILLS" portion. Apparently it must be important because the advertiser had put it

x at the very whisper of the word. Food! Well, he needed

and no frills, were all but a mile away at the Restabit Inn at Gould's

t collar, pulled the brown derby down as tightly upon his brow as he could, picked up the heavy suitcas

to be almost a rain. His coat and hat and suitcase dripped with it. The drops ran down his nose. He felt as if there were almost as

eem to be any trees. Occasionally he swept a circle of his immediate surroundings with the little flashli

e nowhere ahead, with a suddenness which each time caused his weakened nerves

f Galusha's sodden shoes moving

-ooo--o

e a minute Galusha Bangs jumped as if

ful. Galusha plodded on and on, stopping to put down the suitcase, then lifting it and pounding on again. He had had

the suitca

nd not far away, close at hand

cried Galush

d the echo, for

, disclosed steps and a broad piazza. Mr. Bangs climbed the steps, crossed the piazza, the boards of which creaked beneath him. There were doors, but they were shut tight; there were windows, but they were

was a sign, he had not looked as high before.

N. Open June 15

and gone. This was the 3rd of October. T

he collapsed, rather than sat down, upon the upper step. Above him, upon the piaz

oo-OOO!!" whoo

Bangs awoke from his faint or collapse or doze, whiche

Loosh!

ome of the fellows had called him that, those he liked best. The others had even m

h! Loosh, wh

y one down here in... Eh? Where was he? He couldn't

ooshy! Co

irection of the voice. The rain, pouring down upon him, served to bring him back a litt

t. The figure of a woman, a woman in a dark dress and a white apron.

! Oh, my sakes alive!

he gate swung open. He staggered up the path on the other side of that

politely but shakily lifting

olently, but she did

ing forward, she stared at the dripping apparitio

adam," repeat

d a figure of the sort which used to be called "comfortable."

ou are there, so you needn't tell me ag

ing dizzily, but he trie

eem to have forgotten it. Oh, yes, it is Bangs

ME call

ver there. It was closed. I sat down upon the porch, for I

She had been looking keen

o the house," she

step toward her.

fraid," he said. "Reall

-wet as a drowned rat-that I'm ask

t unkind, but i

, then into another, this last evidently a sitting room. He was to know it well later;

" ordered

d-fashioned sofa. It tempted him-oh, how it tempted

faltered. "I'm afraid I m

t D

irling dervish dance about him, but

haps insane, to you. But I have, as I say, been ill and I have walked several miles, owing t

Didn't you have any di

s fault but my own. Then, when I found the-the hotel closed,

ute. What I

tell it, but I certainly thought I heard you or some one call

at was th

nt as he was, Mr. Bangs

Loosh-or-ah-Looshy" h

into smiles. Her "comf

callin' my cat; his name is Lucy-Lucy Larcom; sometimes we call

ad had culminated in one grand merry-go-round blotting out c

ir, bent over him, felt his p

"Primmie, come here t

large, raw-boned female, of an age which might have been almost anything within the range of the l

the prone figure upon the sofa, she exclaimed

' and askin' questions, but do

t AILS him?

tion as that in your head?

t-he ain

s all. He's tired out and half sick and half

e water. They always heav

bottle of that cherry rum Cap'n Hallet gave me three years ago. Bring it right here and bring a tumbler and spoon with it. After that you see if you can get Doctor Powers on

. Her mistress bent over the wet, p

ngs, of the National Institute, Washington, D. C., and Miss Martha Phipps, of East Well