Galusha the Magnificent

d she must have at least a few hours in which t

id. "Naturally, you want to know

in here while you are-ah-endeavoring to reach a decision I shall be quite satisfied, really. In that cas

cide long before that. "I think breakfast

she informed him that he

s part of the agreement that you'll feel free to give it up and go any tim

course, Miss Phipps, you will be perfectly frank and tell me at once if you change YOUR mind. And if I shou

ht. She was still smil

said, "but don't you think yourself that that

oked h

discovered an inscription which pleased me VERY much. MOST quaint and unusual it was-dear me, yes. And quite unconsciously I burst into a shout-a cheer, as one may say. The

on. Mr. Bangs insisted upon continuing the three dollars a day

ver to Elmer Rogers' if I didn't. Elmer Rogers is a robber and always was. Father used to say he was the forty-fir

s' House board is worth three dollars a

ody but Elmer say his board was w

of two and a half per day, whic

me known to Miss Primrose Cash that forenoon, to the driver of the grocer's cart one hour later, and to all of East Wellmou

purchase headgear to replace the brown derby. Erastus happened to be busy at the moment-there were two customers in his st

ng was condesc

and and thumping his shrinking shoulder blades with the other. "If it ain't the

ssible, he murmured that he was-"ah-quite well" and, conscious that the eyes of Mr. Beebe and his two customers wer

me'd meet again? That's what I said. And now we've met twice since. Once in the old boneyard and now here, eh? And they tell me you like East Wellmouth so much you're goin' to stick

s two customers echoed the Pulcifer laugh. Galusha smiled painful

grinning Erastus, "can I-That is, have you

ld answer, Mr. Pulcifer answered for him. Agai

sn't it; that hat goin' that way? I don't know's I ever laughed more in my life. One minute she was jumpin' along amongst them gravestones lik

a inte

do that," he s

Do w

dn't, if you don't mind. And-oh-I sho

ssed to Mr. Beebe, who clea

get through waitin' on these customers I'll 'tend to y

altered Galusha. "I

have to wait. I know Ras's stock as well as he d

hink of troubling yo

ow-neighbors, eh? Sure, Mike! You and me are goin' to see a lot of each other from now on.

he ordinary. Its material was a fuzzy frieze of nondescript colors, a shade of dingy yellow predominating, and its shape was weir

eparture from the windows. All were hugely a

m! Don't he look like a bullfrog under a l

d in the laugh, but

on used to come down drummin' for that Boston hat store, and he quit much a

the questioner with

r him. You don't know the first principles of sellin', Ras. If you had

he retreating figure

and get rich. Well, maybe I won't have so many stickers, as you call 'em, if tha

when he came in here?" queried Mrs.

e seen that hat often enough, too. Used to belong to Cap'n

p of a long nose. "Well," she observed, "if Martha Phi

was she must say, but sh

ed beneath his new headgear. When he removed it, upon

ou just bought, Mr

usha, meekly. "

zy yellow thing with

u?" sh

tonishingly prom

it," sai

stare from the cap

"Then why in the wo

ightly. "He said I ou

sai

e caps. I didn't like this one at all, but he talked so much that-that I couldn't stay and hear him any longe

took this-this outrage because Ra

me into it-yes," he admitted. "Into the-

a drew a l

d. "And what did you do with father'

e! I must have left it in the shop. I'm SO sorry. How could I

ne forthwith, bu

er errands there. And, if you don't mind," she added, "I'd like to take

urned she had another cap, a sane, respe

gs," she said. "I like it lots better myself. Of course it was

ed to rea

ry, very kind of you. And I like this cap VERY much. I do,

was thinking at the moment

es you say tha

rely repeating it. Other people always say it, they've said it ever

ut he deliberately chose being imposed upon rather than listening to the Pulcifer conversation. He was certainly a queer individual, this lodger of hers. A learned man evidently, a man apparently at home and sure of himself in a world long dead, but as helpless as a chil

nd with nobody of his own within goodness knows how many miles. I'll look out for him as well as I can while he's here. My conscience wouldn't let me do anyt

as malicious and scandalous gossip, of course, but most of it was fathered by an intense and growing curiosity concerning the little man. Who was he? What was his real reason for coming to East Wellmouth to live-in the W

t this Bangs feller is just a little mite cracked on the subject of Egyptians and Indians and gravestones-probably he's read a lot about 'em and it's sprained his mind, as you might say. That would account for the big yarns he tells Prim about Africa and

re as drab and old-fashioned and "floppy" as those he wore on his arrival. Horatio was invariably arrayed like a lil

along with him. I shake hands with him and hit him a clip on the back, and, gosh t'migh

at Gould's Bluffs because of that poverty came to be accepted in East Wellmouth as a settled fact. So quickly and firmly was it settled tha

reation, but the truth is he lives down here by the lighthouse and is poorer than the last pullet in Job's coo

es for a living?"

f tombstone-writin' over in the old Baptist graveyard. Seems to LIKE to be the

t that it was probably the last plac

ties. He would not have been interested had he known. He was enjoying himself hugely, was gaining daily in health, s

ked freely and interestingly of his experiences at sea and as keeper of the light. His stories of wrecks and life-saving were well told and Galusha enjoyed them. He cared less for Jethro's dissertations on investments and deals and shrewd trades. It was plain that the old ma

such thing. Your boardin' there's a goo

was tr

ah-not pinched for means, I hope. Not that that

eply was gruff a

's willin' to do as I do and wait. I know I'l

forgotten,

" he re

WI

es, yes,

or of spirit communications. The slightest touch here and the captain was off, his eyes shining beneath his heavy bro

me," roared Cap'

gether. He had liked her at first s

tha, "and you never can tell what he may say or

d doubts and fears, the hopes of her own love sto

he isn't. And all this consulting with mediums and getting messages and so o

looked d

Conan Doyle and Lodge and Doctor Hyslop are not easy dupes and their opinions are entitled to grea

to go into trances and get messages just because they like to be the center of a sensation. They like to have silly people say, 'Isn't it wonderful!' Marietta Hoag's 'control,' as she

's pretty face was so intense that G

tta person the mediu

that seance as bitter against him as if the poor boy had committed murder. Marietta told him that a small dark man was trying to take away his daughter, or

said more than she intended. Galusha, who had n

at if it hadn't been Nelson it would probably have been som

e the idea of giving y

many times.... Oh, dear! If you could have known him in the old days, Mr. Bangs, before he-well, when he was himself, big and strong and hearty. He u

am sure

ery much like him. Sh

s been very kind to me,

her this winter, Mr. Bangs. I have an idea that she has been-well, troubled about something; just what

at he might become better a

im," he said. "He seems li

odded r

r enthusiasm, she blushed and begged pardon. "You see, I hear so much against him-from father, I

orgiven her muc

the South Wellmouth station and call

g together pretty soon," she said. "You see, father-but there, that's

wing week Miss Phipps informed her lodger that he and sh

lect, as they used to say in books when I was a girl. There

was su

e, I thought-I understood that Mr. Howard

ir crowd of rattleheads have dug up a brand new medium who is visitin' over in Trumet and they've made up a party to go there and hold a seance. When they told Cap'n Jeth, of course nothin' would do but he must go, too. So, WHILE he is gone Nelson is comin' over to supper. It's deceivin' the old ma

hat it was "Marietta and 'Phelia and the rest of 'em. My savin' soul, ain't they talkin' though! Cal'late the sperits 'll have busy times this e

settin' between Marietta and 'Phelia Beebe. There's the three o

er best gown and looked the personification of trim, comfortable New England femininity. Galusha wa

have, though, if Primmie had finished the job. I was so busy that I let her start on it,

looked

litely. "Oh, yes,

ook he

ow what I'm talkin' about,

Miss Phipps,

like you in my life. Didn't you notice

nly became aware of his immaculate

een-that is, I was thinking of other things and I-Dear me! Oh, dear

our closet and I noticed how wrinkled and out of

e other day and I-ah-imagine I must have gotte

nd back. Now don't say any more, Mr. Bangs. It was no trouble at all. I always used

them at

Primmie?"

he supper and the longer she stays away the more talk there will be for the rest of us. She is

It is all settled. Now if Nelson will only come. He is

Young Howard, questioned by Martha and Lulie-the latter evidently anxious to "show off" her lover-told of his experiences aboard one of Uncle Sam's transports and the narrow escape from a German submarine. Galusha, decoyed by Miss Phip

schooners on the walls, and mantel and what-not bore salt-water curios of many kinds handed down by generations of seafaring Halletts-whales' teeth, little ships in bottles, idols from the South Sea islands, bead and bone necklaces, Eskimo lance-heads and goodness know

hipps, whose seat was near the front window

d. "Isn't that an

motor car was approaching along the sandy roa

wing aside the window shade and trying to p

oubled, but she

to be away over in Trumet and it is sure to last

came the sound of rushing feet. Primmie bu

a!" she cried. "It's them com

s Phipps. "Stop flappin' your win

e Hardin' and Cap'n Jeth and all. And-and they're comin' in here-and h

shoulder peered the cou

t seiners is back here in port again, Cap'n Jeth and all. Better beat for open w