fashioned——’Patience，wifeofEdwinSmith。’IonlymentionthistoshowyouhowlittleDadtalksabouthimself，butitwasoddIshouldfinditoutthatway，wasn’tit？Butthere！Idon’tsupposeyou’reinterestedintheSmithgenealogy。Iapologize。Ineverthinkofdiscussingmyfamilyaffairswithanyonebutyou，notevenSam。Butyou——well，somehowIseemtotellyoueverything。Iwonderwhy？“
“PerhapsbecauseIasktoomanyquestions。“
“No，itisn’tthat。Itisbecauseyouactasifyoureallycaredtohavemetalkaboutmyownaffairs。Inevermetagirlbeforethatdid。Now，Iwanttoaskyouaboutthatclubbusiness。There’sgoingtobethedeuceandalltopayinthatifI’mnotcareful。
Haveyouthoughtitover？WhatwouldyoudoifyouwereI？“
Thematterinquestionwasasomewhatdelicateandcomplicatedone，dealingwiththeadmissionorrejectionofacertainfellowtooneoftheHarvardsocieties。Therewasastronginfluenceworkingtogethiminand，ontheotherhand，thereweresomeverygoodobjectionstohisadmission。Crawford，presidentoftheclubandoneofitsmostinfluentialmembers，wasundecidedwhattodo。HehadexplainedthecasetoMaryupontheoccasionofhismostrecentvisittothePinckneyStreethouse，andhadaskedheradvice。Shehadtakentimeforconsideration，ofcourse——shewastheoldMary’-
Gustastillinthat——andnowtheadvicewasready。
“Itseemstome，“shesaid，“thatIshouldtrytosettleitlikethis。“
Sheexplainedherplan。Crawfordlistened，atfirstdubiouslyandthenwithsteadilygrowingenthusiasm。
“ByGeorge！“heexclaimed，whenshehadfinished。“Thatwoulddoit，Ihonestlybelieve。Howintheworlddidyoueverthinkofthatscheme？Say，youreallyareawonderatmanaging。Youcouldmanageabigbusinessandmakeitgo，I’msure。Howdoyoudoit？Wheredoyougetyourideas？“
Marylaughed。Hispraisepleasedher。
“Idon’tknow，“sheanswered。“Ijustthinkthemout，Iguess。I
doliketomanagethingsforpeople。SometimesIdoitmorethanI
should，perhaps。PoorIsaiahChase，athomeinSouthHarniss，saysIbosshimtodeath。AndmyunclessayImanagethem，too——buttheyseemtolikeit，“sheadded。
“Idon’twondertheydo。Ilikeit，myself。WillyouhelpmanagemyaffairsbetweennowandCommencement？There’llbeawholelottomanage，betweentheclubandthedanceandalltherestofit。AndthenwhenyougotoCommencementyoucanseeforyourselfhowtheyworkout。“
“GotoCommencement？AmIgoingtoCommencement？“
“Ofcourseyouare！You’regoingwithme，Ihope。Ithoughtthatwasunderstood。It’salongwayoffyet，butforgoodness’sakedon’tsayyouwon’tcome。I’vebeencountingonit。“
Mary’spleasureshowedinherface。Allshesaid，however，was：
“Thankyouverymuch。Ishallbeverygladtocome。“
ButCommencementwas，asCrawfordsaid，stillagoodwayoffandinthemeantimetherewereweeksofstudy。Theweekspassed，someofthem，andthencametheEastervacation。MaryspentthevacationinSouthHarniss，ofcourse，andastherewasnoChristmasrushtomakeherfeelthatshewasneededatthestore，sherestedanddroveandvisitedandhadathoroughlyhappyandprofitableholiday。Thehappinessandprofitweresharedbyheruncles，itisunnecessarytostate。Whenshequestionedthemconcerningbusinessandtheoutlookforthecomingsummer，theyseemedoptimisticandcheerful。
“ButIsaiahsaystherearetwonewstorestobeopenedinthevillagethisspring，“saidMary。“Don’tyouthinktheymayhurtyourtradealittle？“
CaptainShadrachdismissedtheideaandhisprospectivecompetitorswithacondescendingwaveofthehand。“Notamite，“hedeclaredscornfully。“Notamite，Mary-’Gusta。HamiltonandCompany’saprettyableoldcraft。Shemaynotshowsomuchgiltpaintandbrassworkassomeofthenewonesjustofftheways，butherpassengersknowshe’sstaunchandthey’llstickbyher。Why，Isaiahwassayin’thatafellerwastellin’himonlyyesterdaythatitdidn’tmakeanydifferencehowmanynewstoreswasstartedinthistown，he’dnevertradeanywheresbutwithHamiltonandCompany。
Thatshowsyou，don’tit？“
“Whowasitsaidthat，UncleShad？“askedMary。
“Eh？Why，Idon’tknow。Isaiahwastellin’meaboutitandwewasinterrupted。Whowasit，Isaiah？“
“’TwasRastusYoung，“repliedMr。Chasepromptly。
EventheCaptainwasobligedtolaugh，althoughhedeclaredthatMr。
Young’sconstancywasaproofthatthefirm’sprospectsweregood。
“Rats’llalwaysleaveasinkin’ship，“hesaid，“andifZoethandmewasgoin’underRatYoungwouldbethefirsttoquit。“
Zoeth，whenhisniecequestionedhim，expressedconfidencethatthenewcompetitorswouldnotprovedangerous。“TheAlmightyhaslookedafterussofar，“headded，“unworthyaswebe，andIguesshe’llcarryustherestoftheway。PutyourtrustinHim，Mary’-Gusta；I
hopetheyteachyouthatuptoschool。“
SoMary，whohadbeenrathertroubledatthenewsofHamiltonandCompany’srivalsinthefield，dismissedherfearsasgroundless。
Heruncleswereold-fashionedandalittlebehindthetimesinbusinessmethods，butnodoubtthosemethodsweresuitedtoSouthHarnissandtherewasnocauseforworryconcerningthefirm’sfuture。ShemadeIsaiahpromisetokeepherpostedastodevelopmentsandwentbacktoBostonandherschoolwork。
CHAPTERXIV
Thespringtermwasaninterestingoneandtherewereotherinterestsaswell。Crawfordcalledmorefrequently，theplansforCommencementrequiringagreatdealofdiscussion。Mary’sfondnessformanagingwas，orshouldhavebeen，gratified，forthetalentwasinconstantdemand。SamKeith，who，aftermeetingMaryathiscousin’shouse，hadatfirstdevelopedanamazingfondnessforthatrelative’ssociety，nowcamelessoften。Hewasinthesecondstageofthepretty-girldiseasementionedbyhisaunt；thefeveranddeliriumhadpassed，andhewasnowcoolingoff。Itcannotbesaidthatthefeverhadbeenintheleastencouraged。Marywaspleasantandagreeablewhenhecalled，butshewouldnottreathimasaconfidantoranintimate；shedidnotacceptanyofhisinvitationstodancesorthetheater，andshewouldnotflirteventheleastlittlebit。Thelastwasthemostunsatisfactorydrawback，becausethesusceptibleSamuelwasfondofflirtationsandusuallymanagedtokeepatleastthreegoingatthesametime。Therefore，thecooling-offprocesswas，inthiscase，abitmorerapidthanusual。
Sam’scallsanddinnersathiscousinEmily’sresidencehaddecreasedfromtwoorthreetimesaweektoanuncertainonceafortnight。Mary，ofcourse，noticedthis，butshefeltnoregret。
Crawford，Sam’sroommate，musthavenoticeditalso，butifhefeltregrethemanagedtoconcealthefeelingremarkablywell。
EarlyinMayCaptainShadrachcameuptothecitytobuysummergoodsforthestore。HepositivelyrefusedtomakehisheadquartersatMrs。Wyeth’s，althoughthatladysentanurgentinvitationtohimtodoso。And，evenwhenMaryaddedherownpleatothatofherlandlady，theCaptainstillrefused。
Don’taskme，Mary-’Gusta[hewrote]。Forthedearlandsakesdon’taskmetocometothatplaceandstay。I’ddo’mostanythingforyou，andIwilldothatifyouaredeadsotonit，butIdohopeyouain’t。IwillcomeupthereandseeyouofcourseandI’llevenstaytosupperifIgetasked，butDON’Taskmetodropanchorandstaytherenightandday。Icouldn’tstandit。Mybackbone’ssprungbackwardsnowfromsettin’upsostraightlasttimeIwasthere。
SoMaryhadpityuponhimandhetookaroomattheQuincyHousewhere，ashesaid，hedidn’thavetokeephisnosedeadonthecourseeveryminute，butcould“laytoandbecomf’table“ifhewantedto。HewasinvitedtosupperattheWyethhouse，however，andwhilethereMrs。Wyethfoundanopportunitytotakehimasideandtalkwithhimonasubjectwhichhefoundinterestingandatrifledisquieting。
“Nowmind，“saidthelady，“Iambynomeansconvincedthattheaffairisanythingbutamereboyandgirlfriendship，orthatitiseverlikelytobemorethanthat。ButIdidthinkIoughttotellyouaboutitandthatyoushouldmeettheyoungman。Youhavemethim，yousay？“
“Yes，ma’am，“saidShadrach，“I’vemethim。’Twan’tmuchmore’nthat——hejustcameintoourstoredownhome，that’sall。ButIdidmeethimandImustsayIthoughthewasareallikelyyoungfeller。“
“Iamgladyouthoughtso。SodoI。HasMarywrittenyouofhiscallshere？“
“Oh，yes，ma’am，she’swritten。Sheain’tthekindofgirltokeepanythingbackfromus；atleast，ifsheis，she’schangedaheapsinceshecameawaytoschool。She’stoldusabouthiscomin’hereandaboutyouandhimandhergoin’tothat——what-d’ye-call-it——
hookeygame。Shewroteallaboutthat’waylastFebruary。“
“Yes，wedidgotothehockeygame。Samuel，mycousinJohnKeith’sboy，playedinit。Now，CaptainGould，Ihaveasuggestiontomake。
IthasbeensomeyearssinceyoumetCrawfordSmithandIthink，everythingconsidered，youshouldmeethimagainanddecideforyourselfwhetherornotyoustillconsiderhimaproperyoungpersontocalluponyourniece。SupposeyoudinewithusagaintomorroweveningandIinviteyoungSmithalso。Then——“
ButtheCaptaininterrupted。HehadaplanofhisownforthefollowingeveningandanothermealatMrs。Wyeth’swasnotapartofit。
“Er——er——excuseme，ma’am，“hecutinhastily，“butIhada——akindofnotionthatMary-’Gustaandmemightgetoursupperata——aeatin’-houseorsomewheretomorrownightandthenmaybewe’dtakein——Imeangotoashow——atheater，Ishouldsay。Ididn’tknowbutI’daskthisyoungSmithfellertogoalong。And——and——“
rememberinghispoliteness，“ofcoursewe’dberealgladifyou’dcome，too，“headded。
ButMrs。Wyeth，althoughshethankedhimandexpressedherselfasheartilyinfavorofthesupperandtheaterparty，refusedtobecomeamemberofit。TheCaptainboretheshockoftherefusalwith，tosaytheleast，manfulresignation。HehadahugerespectforMrs。
Wyeth，andhelikedherbecausehisbelovedMary-’Gustalikedhersowell，buthislikingwasseasonedwithaweandhernointhiscasewasagreatrelief。
SothefollowingeveningatsixMaryandherunclemetCrawfordattheQuincyHouseandthethreedinedtogether，afterwhichtheysawtheperformanceof“TheMusicMaster“attheTremontTheater。
Crawfordfoundthedinnerquiteasentertainingastheplay。
CaptainShadrachwasinhighgoodhumorandhisremarksduringthemealwerecharacteristic。Hepersistedinaddressingthedignifiedwaiteras“Steward“andinreferringtothehotelkitchenasthe“galley。“Heconsultedhisyoungguestsbeforeorderingandacceptedtheirselectionsgracefullyifnotalwayssilently。
“Allright，Mary-’Gusta，“heobserved。“Allright，justasyousay。
You’retheskipperofthiscrafttonight，andmeandCrawfordherearejustpassengers。Ifyousaywe’vegottoeat——whatisit？——
consummersoup——why，Isupposelikelywehave。I’lltakemychancesifCrawfordwill。Course，ifIwasalonehere，I’dprobablysticktooysterstewandroastbeef。Iknowwhattheyare。Andit’ssomecomforttobesureofwhatyou’regettin’，asthesickfellersaidwhenthedoctortoldhimhehadthesmallpoxinsteadofthemeasles。