Apartofthisstatementisnotsurprising。Theaverageperson，nomatterhowhumbleorobscure，isprettycertaintobetalkedaboutonthedayofhisfuneral，andMarcelluswastobeburiedthatafternoon。Moreover，Marcellushadbeenneitherhumblenorobscure；
also，hehadbeentalkedaboutagooddealduringthefifty-nineyearsofhissojournonthisplanet。Soitisnotatallsurprisingthatheshouldbetalkedaboutnow，whenthatsojournwasended。
ButforallOstable——yes，andalargepartofSouthHarniss——tobeengagedinspeculationconcerningthefutureofMary-’Gustawassurprising，for，priortoMarcellus’sdeath，veryfewoutsideoftheHallhouseholdhadgivenherorherfutureathought。
Onthisday，however，wheneverorwhereverthenameofMarcellusHallwasmentioned，afterthedispositionofMarcellus’sownboneshadbeendiscussedandthoseofhisfamilyskeletondisinterredandarticulated，theconversation，inatleasteightcasesoutoften，resolveditselfintoaguessingcontest，havingasitsproblemthisquery：
“What’sgoin’tobecomeofthatchild？“
Forexample：
Mr。BethuelSparrow，localnewsgathererfortheOstableEnterprise，seatedbeforehisdeskintheeditorialsanctum，waswritinganobituaryfornextweek’spaper，underthefollowinghead：
“AProminentCitizenPassesAway。“
Anordinarymanwouldprobablyhavewritten“Dies“；butMr。Sparrow，beingayoungandverynewreporterforaruralweekly，wrote“PassesAway“asmoreelegantandlessshockingtothereader。
Itismuchmoresoothingandrefinedtopassawaythantodie——
unlessonehappenstobethepersonmostconcerned，inwhichcase，perhaps，itmaymakelittledifference。
“TheAngelofDeath，“wroteMr。Sparrow，“passedthroughourmidstonTuesdaylastandcalledtohisrewardCaptainMarcellusHall，oneofOstable’smostwell-knownandinfluentialresidents。“
Aslightexaggerationhere。MarcellushadlivedinOstablebutfiveyearsaltogetherand，duringthelastthree，hadtakenabsolutelynopartintownaffairs——political，religiousorsocial。However，“influential“isagoodwordandusualinobituaries，soBethuelletitstand。Hecontinued：
“CaptainHall’ssuddendeath——“
Erasureof“death“andsubstitutionof“demise。“
Then：
“——Wasashocktothecommunityatlarge。Ithappenedonaccountof——“Moreerasuresandsubstitutions。“——Itwastheresultofhistakingcoldowingtoexposureduringtheheavysoutheastrainsofweekbeforelastwhichdevelopedintopneumonia。Hegrewrapidlyworseandpassedawayat3。06P。M。onTuesday，leavingavacancyinourmidstwhichwillbehardtofill，ifatall。AlthoughCaptainHallhadresidedinOstablebutacomparativelyshortperiod，hewaswell-knownandrespected，bothasamanand——“
Here，inventionfailing，Mr。Sparrowcalledforassistance。
“Hey，Perce，“hehailed，addressinghiscompanion，Mr。PercyClark，whowasbusysettingtype：“What’sagoodwordtousehere？IsayMarcelluswasrespectedbothasaman——andsomethin’else。“
“Hey？“queriedPercy，absently，scanningtheeightpointcase。
“Whatd’yesay？“
“Iaskedyouwhatwouldbeagoodthingtogowith’man’？“
“Hey？Idon’tknow。Woman，Iguess。“
“Aw，cutitout。Nevermind，Igotit：
“——Asamanandacitizen。CaptainHallwasfifty-nineyearsofageatthetimeofhisdemise。HewasborninSouthHarnissandfollowedtheseauntil1871，whenhefoundedthefirmofHallandCompany，whichwasforsomeyearstheleadingdealerinfreshandsaltfishinthissectionofthestate。Whenthefirm——
“Isay，Perce！’Twouldn’tdotosayMarcellusfailedinbusiness，wouldit？Mightseemlikehintin’atthatstuffabouthissisterandtherestofit。Mightgetusintotrouble，eh？“
“Humph！Idon’tknowwhowith。Everybody’stalkin’aboutit，anyway。Uptotheboardin’housethey’vebeentalkingaboutmightylittleelseeversincehedied。“
“Iknow，buttalk’sonethingandprint’sanother。I’mgoin’toleaveitout。
“Whenthefirmwentoutofbusinessin1879，CaptainHallfollowedtheseaagain，commandingtheshipsFaraway，FairWind，andTreasureSeeker，andthebarkApollo。Laterheretiredfromtheseaandhasnotbeenactiveinthesameorotherwisesince。In1894hemarriedAugustaBangsLathrop，widowofthelateReverendCharlesLathrop，formerlypastoroftheCongregationalChurchinthistown。CaptainHallhadbeenresidinginhisnativetown，SouthHarniss，butafterhismarriagehetookuphisresidenceinOstable，purchasingtheresidenceformerlyownedbyElnathanPhinneyonPhinney’sHill，whereheliveduntilhislamenteddemise。Mrs。Hallpassedawayin1896。ThesuddenremovalofCaptainHallfromourmidstleavesastepdaughter，MaryAugustaLathrop，agedseven。The——“
HereMr。Sparrow’strainofthoughtcollidedwiththeobstructionwhichwasderailingmanysimilartrainsinOstableandSouthHarniss。
“Isay，Perce，“heobserved“what’sgoin’tobecomeofthatkidofMarcellus’s——hiswife’s，Imean？Marcellusdidn’thaveanyrelations，asfarasanybodyknows，andneitherdidhiswife。Who’sgoin’totakecareofMary-’Gusta？“
Percyshookhishead。“Don’tknow，“heanswered。“That’swhatallhandsareaskin’。Ipresumelikelyshe’llbelookedafter。
Marcellusleftplentyofmoney，didn’the？Andkidswithmoneycangenerallyfindguardians。“
“Yup，Iguessthat’sso。Still，whoevergetsherwillhavetheirhandsfull。She’sthemostold-fashioned，queerestyoung-oneeverI
saw。“
SomuchforMr。SparrowandhisfellowlaborerfortheEnterprise。
NowtolistenforamomenttoJudgeBaxter，wholedthelegalprofessionofOstable；andtoMrs。Baxterwho，socommonreportaffirmed，ledtheJudge。ThepairwereupstairsintheBaxterhouse，dressingforthefuneral。
“Daniel，“declaredMrs。Baxter，“it’sthequeerestthingIeverheardof。Yousaytheydon’tknow——eitherofthem——andthechildherselfdoesn’tknow，either。“
“That’sit，Ophelia。Nooneknowsexceptmyself。CaptainHallreadthelettertomeandputitinmychargeayearago。“
“Well，Imustsay！“
“Yes，Iknow，Isaiditatthetime，andI’vebeensayingittomyselfeversince。Itdoesn’tmeananything；thatis，itisnotbindinglegally，ofcourse。It’sabsolutelyunbusinesslikeandunpractical。Simplyaletter，askingthem，asoldfriends，todothisthing。WhethertheywillornottheAlmightyonlyknows。“
“Well，Daniel，ImustsayIshouldn’thavethoughtyou，ashislawyer，wouldhavelethimdosuchathing。Ofcourse，Idon’tknoweitherofthemverywell，but，fromwhatlittleI’veheard，Ishouldsaytheyknowasmuchaboutwhattheywouldbesupposedtodoas——asyoudoabouttyinganecktie。Formercysakesletmefixit！Theknotissupposedtobeunderyourchin，notunderyourearasifyouweregoingtobehung。“
TheJudgemeeklyelevatedthechinandhiswifepulledthetieintoplace。
“Andso，“shesaid，“theycansayyesornojustastheylike。“
“Yes，itrestsentirelywiththem。“
“Andsupposetheysayno，whatwillbecomeofthechildthen？“
“Ican’ttellyou。CaptainHallseemedprettycertaintheywouldn’tsayno。“
“Humph！There！Nowyoulookalittlemorepresentable。Haveyougotacleanhandkerchief？Well，that’sanunexpectedmiracle；I
don’tknowhowyouhappenedtothinkofit。Whenareyougoingtospeakwiththemaboutit？“
“Today，iftheycometothefuneral，asIsupposetheywill。“
“IshallbeinafidgetuntilIknowwhethertheysayyesorno。
AndwhichevertheysayIshallkeeponfidgetinguntilIseewhathappensafterthat。PoorlittleMary-’Gusta！IwonderwhatWILL
becomeofher。“
TheJudgeshookhishead。
OvertheroadbetweenSouthHarnissandOstableabuggydrawnbyanagedwhitehorsewasmovingslowly。Onthebuggy’sseatweretwomen，CaptainShadrachGouldandZoethHamilton。CaptainGould，big，stout，andbearded，wasdriving。Mr。Hamilton，small，thin，smooth-
facedandwhite-haired，wasbesidehim。BothwereobviouslydressedintheirSundayclothes，CaptainShadrach’sblue，Mr。Hamilton’sblack。Eachworeanuncomfortablyhighcollarandtheshoesofeachhadbeenlaboriouslypolished。Theirfaces，utterlyunlikeinmostrespects，wereverysolemn。
“Ahhum！“sighedMr。Hamilton。
CaptainShadrachsnortedimpatiently。
“Forthelandsakesdon’tdothatagain，Zoeth，“heprotested。
“That’sthetenth’Ahhum’you’vecastlooseinamile。Iknowwe’reboundtoafuneralbutthereain’tnoneedoftollin’thebellalltheway。Idon’tlikeitandIdon’tthinkMarcelluswouldneither，ifhecouldhearyou。“
“Perhapshecanhearus，Shadrach，“suggestedhiscompanion，mildly。
“Perhapshe’sherewithusnow；whocantell？“
“Humph！Well，ifheisthenIKNOWhedon’tlikeit。Marcellusnevermadeanyfusswhateverhappened，andhewouldn’tmakeanyathisownfuneralnomorethanatanybodyelse’s。Thatwasn’thisway。Saynothin’andkeepheronthecourse，thatwasMarcellus。I