wasyou。Youunderstand？“
“Yes，yes，Shadrach，IthinkIunderstand。Youmeanshefeltbadtohavetosay——whatshedidsay——tothatyoungmanandshewouldn’twanttoberemindedofit？“
“That’saboutit，Zoeth。“
Silenceforsomeminutes。Bothpartnerswereoccupiedwiththeirthoughts。ThenZoethsaid：
“Shadrach，I——I——“
Hedidnotfinishthesentence。TheCaptainventuredtoremindhim。
“Yes，Zoeth，whatisit？“heasked。
“Nothin’。I——Ican’ttellyounow。Byandby，ifthegoodLordgivesmestrengthagain，I’ll——Nevermind，now。Don’taskme，please。“
SoShadrachdidnotask，buthewaspuzzledandalittleanxious。
Whatwasithispartnerhadtotellandfoundthetellingsodifficult？
CHAPTERXXVIII
Itwasnotuntiladayinmid-SeptemberthatCaptainShadrachlearnedhispartner’ssecret。HeandZoethandMarywereatthestoretogether。Businesswasstillgood，buttherushwasover。
ThesummercottageswereclosingandmostoftheCapehotelshadalreadyclosed。TheFor’ardLookouthadtakendownitssignattheendofthepreviousweek。Itsvoyageforthatyearwasover。Ithadbeenaprosperousone。
Marywassorrythatthebusyseasonwasatanend。Shewasvery，verytired；shehadallowedherselfnorest，hadtakennoholidays，haddoneherbesttothinkofnothingexceptmattersconnectedwithHamiltonandCompanyorthetea-room。These，fortunately，hadgivenherenoughtothinkof；otherthoughtssheresolutelycrowdedfromhermind。Nowtherewouldbenotea-roomtoplanfor，and，thankstoSimCrockerandthecompetentwayinwhichhehadassumedcareofthestore，shenolongerfelttheabsolutenecessityofremainingtherefromdaylightuntillateintheevening。HerUncleZoethwasalmostwell，also；shewouldnolongerhavehishealthasanadditionalburdenuponhermind。Shewasindangerofbeingforcedtothinkofherself，andthatsheknewshemustnotdo。Thinkingofherselfwouldsurelymeanthinkingofsomeoneelseandofwhatmighthavebeen。Andwhatuseless，hopelessthinkingthatwouldbe！No，no！Shemustfindsomethingelsetokeepherthoughtsoccupied。
Soshewasplanningthemakingoverandenlargingofthestorefront，puttinginlargerandbetterwindowsandstrengtheningtheplatform。ShewasdiscussingtheplanwithShadrachandZoethwhenJohnKeithentered。TheKeithswereleavingSouthHarnissratherearlythatyearandtheheadofthefamilyhaddroppedintosaygood-by。Mr。Keith’slikingforMarywasasstrongasever，andforheruncleshehad，bythistime，averyrealregard，afeelingwhichwasreciprocatedbythem。
Conversationbeganinthewaythemajorityofconversationsbegin，withadiscussionoftheweather，itsrecentpast，present，andprobablefuture，shiftedtothetea-roomanditssuccessandthentothevisitor’srecenttriptoNewYork，fromwhichcityhehadjustreturned。Itwasnearthenoonhourandtherewerefewcustomerstointerrupt。ThosewhodidcomeweretakencareofbyMr。Crocker。
“Anythingnewhappenin’overthere？“inquiredCaptainShadrach，askingnewsofthemetropolisexactlyashewouldhaveaskedconcerningthegossipofHarnissCenter。“Meetanybodyyouknew，didyou？“
Keithsmiled。“Why，yes，“hesaid。“ImetthepeopleIwenttosee。Minewasabusinesstrip。Ididn’tmeetanyoneunexpectedly，ifthat’swhatyoumean。“
TheCaptainnodded。“Didn’tgetdownonSouthStreet，didyou？“heasked。“No，Ithoughtnot。Ifyouhadyou’dhavemetplenty。WhenIwasgoin’toseaIbetIneverwentcruisin’downSouthStreetinmylifethatIdidn’trunafoulofsomebodyIwan’texpectin’to。
Greatestplaceformeetin’folksintheworld，Ical’lateSouthStreetis。Lotsofseafarin’menhavetoldmeso。“
Keith’ssmilebroadenedashewashandedthisnuggetofwisdom。
Thenhesaid：
“Youremindme，Captain，thatIdidmeetsomeone，afterall。InBoston，notinNewYork，andImethimonlyyesterday。Itwassomeoneyouknow，too，andMaryhereusedtoknowhimquitewell，I
think——youngCrawfordSmith，Sam’sHarvardfriend。HevisitedushereinSouthHarnissonesummer。“
Shadrachwastheonlyoneofthetriooflistenerswhomadeanycommentatallonthisspeech。Evenhedidnotspeakforamoment，glancingapprehensivelyatMarybeforedoingso。Marysaidnothing，andZoeth，leaningbackinhischair，hisfacehiddenfromhispartner’sgazebytheendofthecounter，didnotspeak。
“Sho！“exclaimedtheCaptain。“Sho！Soyoumethim，didyou！InBoston？That’sfunny。IhadanideahewasoutWestsomewheres。“
“SodidI。ThelastIheardconcerninghimhehadgivenuphisstudiesintheEasthere——hewasstudyingmedicine，asperhapsyouknow——andhadgonebacktohishomeinNevada。Hisfather，whowasnotatallwell，askedhimtodoso。HehadwrittenSamonceortwicefromoutthere。SoIwassurprisedenoughtoseehiminBoston。ImethimintheSouthStationandwechattedforafewmoments。Hetoldmethathisfatherwasdead。“
FrombehindtheendofthecounterwhereZoethsatcameanoddsound，asortofgasp。Shadrachleanedforwardquickly。
“What’sthematter，Zoeth？“heasked。BeforeZoethcouldanswerMaryspoke：
“Dead！“sherepeated。“Mr。Keith，I——did——didyousayCrawfordSmith’sfatherwasDEAD？“
HertonewassostrangethatevenMr。Keithcouldnothelpnoticingit。Helookedather，seemedabouttoaskaquestion，andthenansweredhersinstead。
“Why，yes，“hesaid；“heisdead。Hehadbeeninpoorhealthforsometime，sohissontoldme，andabouttwoweeksagohedied。
Crawforddidnottellmeanyparticulars，nordidhesaywhathadbroughthimEast。Infact，hedidn’tseemanxioustotalk；actedasifhehadsomethingonhismind。OfcourseIsaidIwassorryandhethankedmeandinquiredregardingMrs。KeithandEdnaandSam。
ThenIhadtohurryformytrain……Oh，areyougoing，Mary？
Well，then，Imustsaygood-byuntilnextsummer；weleavetomorrowmorning。“
Maryexplained，ratherhurriedly，thatshemustspeakwithSimeonforafewminutes，saidgood-by，shookhandsandhastenedout。
Keithlookedafterher。
“IhopeIhaven’tmadeablunder，“hesaid，“inspeakingofyoungSmith。Sheandhewerequite——er——friendlyatonetime，weren’tthey。IunderstoodsofromsomeremarksofSam’s。Didn’tputmyfootinitbymentioningtheboy’sname，didI？Icertainlyhopenot。“
Zoethdidnotspeak。Shadrachhastenedtoreassurehim。
“No，no！“hesaid。“TherewasonetimewhenevenmeandZoethfiggeredtheremightbe——er——well，wedidn’tknowbutwhatheandshewasliabletobemore’njustfriends。Butit’salloffnow，seemsso。Theydon’tevenwriteeachother，Iguess。Ical’latemaybeMary’-Gustagottiredofhim，“heexplained。“Hewasarealniceyoungfeller，butheprobablywan’tquitegoodenoughforher。
Fur’sthatgoes，“headded，withtheemphasisofabsoluteconviction，“Ineverlaideyesononethatwas。“
Keithlookedrelieved。“Well，I’mgladifIdidn’tmakeamistake，“
hesaid。“SheseemedsostartledwhenIsaidthatthemanwasdeadandhermannerwassoodd。Didn’tyounoticeityourself，Captain？“
Shadrachnodded。
“Inoticedsheseemedsortofsotallaback，“hesaid，“butIdon’tknow’sthat’ssostrangewhenyouconsiderthatsheandCrawfordusedtobesuchfriends。More’nprobableshe’sheardhimtalkagooddealabouthisfather。“
“Well，perhapsso。Nodoubtthatisit。I’mafraidsheisworkingtoohardandworryingtoomuchoverhervariousenterpriseshere。
Sheissucceedingwonderfully，ofcourse，butIdon’tliketoseeherlosingthoserosesinhercheeks。They’remuchtooprecioustolose。Keepyoureyeonher，Captain，anddon’tletherwearherselfout。“
Hesoonsaidgood-by。CaptainShadrachaccompaniedhimtothedoor。
Zoethremainedwherehewas，notrisingevenwhenheshookhandswithhisdepartingfriend。ButwhentheCaptainturnedbackhesawhispartnerstandingbytheendofthecounterandclutchingitwithonehandwhilehebeckonedwiththeother。Shadrachgavehimonelookandthencrossedthespacebetweenthemintwostrides。
“Forthelandsakes，Zoeth，“hebegged，“what’sthematter？“
Zoethwavedhimtosilence。“Sshh！sshh！“hepleadedinawhisper。
“Don’thollerso；she’llhearyou。Shadrach，I——I——“
“WhatISit？“brokeinhisfriend。“What’sthematter，Zoeth？
ShallIfetchthedoctor？“
“No，no。I’m——I’mallright，Shadrach。I’vejusthad——hadakindofshock——asurprise，that’sall。Iain’tverystrongyetandit——
itkindofupsetme。But，Shadrach，Iwanttotalktoyou。Iwanttotellyousomethin’rightaway。Ican’tkeepittomyselfanylonger。Can’twegohome——tomyroomorsomewheres——wherewecantalk？Please，Shadrach！“
“There，there，shipmate；takeiteasy。Gohome？Coursewecan！
Hey，Sim！“shoutingtoMr。Crocker，whowasinthebackroom。“YouandMarycantakecareofthestore，can’tyou？Zoethandmearegoin’homefordinner。“
SimeonrepliedthatMarywasnotthere；shehadgoneoutthebackway，downtothehouse，hethought。“Butyougoahead，Cap’nShad，“
headded。“Icantakecareofthestoreallright。“
Athome，andinMr。Hamilton’sroom，theCaptainpulledforwardthemostcomfortablechair，forcedhispartnertositinit，closedandlockedthedoor，satdownontheedgeofthebed，andsaid：
“There！Nowwe’realltautandshipshapeandnobodycangetaboardtointerrupt。Fireaway，Zoeth。Whatisityou’vegottotell？“
Zoeth，hishandtrembling，reachedintotheinsidepocketofhiscoat，tookoutanold-fashionedwalletandfromitproducedamuch-
crumpledenvelope。
“Shadrach，“hesaid，“Idon’thardlyknowhowtobegin。Itseemssostrangetothinkthatyouandme，who’vebeensoclosetoeachotheralltheseyears，shouldhaveasecretbetweenus，ifonlyforalittlewhile。Itseemswicked。Iguess’tiswicked，andI’mthewickedoneforkeepin’itfromyou。“
TheCaptainlaughed。
“Youcouldn’tbewickedifyouwasapprenticedtotheOldHarryfortenyears，Zoeth，“hesaid。“Youdon’tknowhowtobeandthedevilhimselfcouldn’tteachyou。Now，don’twastetimetellin’meI’mspeakinglightlyofsacredthings，“headded。“Foronething，theOldScratchain’tsacred，asIknowof，andforanotherIwanttohearthatsecret。Whatisit？“