"But it is, Uncle Zoeth," declared Mary, laughing. "And ISN'T it good to be here! Well, Isaiah," turning to Mr. Chase, who, aproned and shirtsleeved as usual, had been standing grinning in the background, "haven't you anything to say to me?"
Isaiah had something to say and he said it.
"Glad to see you," he announced. "Feelin' pretty smart? Got a new hat, ain't you? Supper's ready."
During the meal Mary was kept busy answering questions concerning school and her life at Mrs. Wyeth's. In her letters she had endeavored to tell every possible item of news which might be interesting to her uncles, but now these items were one by one recalled, reviewed, and discussed.
"'Twas kind of funny, that young Smith feller's turnin' up for dinner that time," observed Mr. Hamilton. "Cal'late you was some surprised to see him, wan't you?"
Mary smiled. "Why, yes," she said, "but I think he was more surprised to see me, Uncle Zoeth."
Captain Shad laughed heartily. "Shouldn't wonder," he admitted.
"Didn't bring any fly paper along with him, did he? No? Well, that was an oversight. Maybe he thought fly time was past and gone. He seemed to be a real nice kind of young feller when he was down here that summer. He's older now; does he seem that way yet?"
"Why, yes, I think so. I only saw him for a little while."
Isaiah seemed to think it time for him to put in a question.
"Good lookin' as ever, I cal'late, ain't he?" he observed.
Mary was much amused. "Why, I suppose he is," she answered. "But why in the world are you interested in his good looks, Isaiah?"
Mr. Chase did his best to assume an expression of deep cunning. He winked at his employers.
"Oh, I ain't interested--not 'special," he declared, "but I didn't know but SOME folks might be. Ho, ho!"
He roared at his own pleasantry. Captain Shadrach, however, did not laugh.
"Some folks?" he repeated, tartly. "What are you talkin' about?
What folks?"
"Oh, I ain't sayin' what folks. I'm just sayin' SOME folks. Ho, ho! You know what I mean, don't you, Mary-'Gusta?"
Before Mary could reply the Captain cut in again.
"No, she don't know what you mean, neither," he declared, with emphasis. "That's enough of that now, Isaiah. Don't be any bigger fool than you can help."
The self-satisfied grin faded from Isaiah's face and was succeeded by a look of surprised and righteous indignation.
"Wha--what's that?" he stammered. "What's that you're callin' me?"
"I ain't callin' you nothin'. I'm givin' you some free advice, that's all. Well, Mary-'Gusta, I cal'late, if you've had supper enough, you and me and Zoeth will go into the settin'-room, where we can all talk and I can smoke. I can always talk better under a full head of steam. Come on, Zoeth, Isaiah wants to be clearin' the table."
But Mr. Chase's thoughts were not concerned with table clearing just then. He stepped between Captain Shadrach and the door leading to the sitting-room.
"Cap'n Shad Gould," he sputtered, "you--you said somethin' about a fool. Who's a fool? That's what I want to know--who's a fool?"
The Captain grunted.
"Give it up," he observed. "I never was any hand at riddles. Come, come, Isaiah! Get out of the channel and let us through."
"You hold on, Cap'n Shad! You answer me afore you leave this room.
Who's a fool? I want to know who's a fool."
Captain Shad grinned.
"Well, go up to the post-office and ask some of the gang there," he suggested. "Tell 'em you'll give 'em three guesses. There, there!" he added, good-naturedly, pushing the irate Mr. Chase out of the "channel." "Don't block the fairway any longer. It's all right, Isaiah. You and me have been shipmates too long to fight now. You riled me up a little, that's all. Come on, folks."
Two hours later, after Mary had answered the last questions even Captain Shad could think of, had received answers to all her own, and had gone to her room for the night, Mr. Hamilton turned to his partner and observed mildly:
"Shadrach, what made you so dreadful peppery to Isaiah this evenin'?
I declare, I thought you was goin' to take his head off."
The Captain grunted. "I will take it off some time," he declared, "if he don't keep the lower end of it shut when he'd ought to. You heard what he said, didn't you?"
"Yes, I heard. That about the Smith boy's good looks, you mean?"
"Sartin. And about Mary-'Gusta's noticin' how good-lookin' he was.
Rubbish!"
"Yes--yes, I know, but Isaiah was only jokin'."
"Jokin'! Well, he may LOOK like a comic almanac, but he needn't try to joke like one while that girl of ours is around. Puttin' notions about fellers and good looks and keepin' company into her head! You might expect such stuff from them fool drummers that come to the store, but an old leather-skinned image like Isaiah Chase ought to have more sense. We don't want such notions put in her head, do we?"
Zoeth rubbed his chin. He did not speak and his silence seemed to irritate his partner.
"Well, do we?" repeated the latter, sharply.
Zoeth sighed. "No, Shadrach," he admitted. "I guess likely we don't, but--"
"But what?"
"Well, we've got to realize that those kind of notions come--come sort of natural to young folks Mary-'Gusta's age."
"Rubbish! I don't believe that girl's got a single one of 'em in her mind."
"Maybe not, but they'll be there some day. Ah, well," he added, "we mustn't be selfish, you and me, Shadrach. It'll be dreadful hard to give her up to somebody else, but if that somebody is a good man, kind and straight and honest, why, I for one will try not to complain. But, Oh, Shadrach! Suppose he should turn out to be the other thing. Suppose SHE makes the mistake that I--"
His friend interrupted.
"Shh! shh!" he broke in, quickly. "Don't talk so, Zoeth. Come on to bed," he added, rising from his chair. "This very evenin' I was callin' Isaiah names for talkin' about 'fellers' and such, and here you and I have been sittin' talkin' nothin' else. If you hear me say 'fool' in my sleep tonight just understand I'm talkin' to myself, that's all. Come on aloft, Zoeth, and turn in."
