ALAMBFORTHESACRIFICE”Perez，”observedCaptainEricheerfully，”I’mtryin’toaverageupwiththemistakesofProvidence。”
TheCaptainwasseatedbytheopendoorofthediningroom，intherockerwiththepatchedcaneseat。Hewasapparentlyverybusydoingsomethingwithapieceoffishlineandapairoflong-leggedrubberboots。CaptainPerez，swingingbackandforthintheparlorrockerwiththepatch-workcushion，waspuffingdeliberatelyatawoodenpipe，thebowlofwhichwascarvedintothelikenessofaveryrakishdamselwithasailor’scapsetuponthesideofheronceflaxenhead。Inresponsetohiscompanion’sremarkhelazilyturnedhissunburnedfacetowardthecane-seatedrockerandinquired:”Whatonairthareyoudoin’withthemboots？”
CaptainEritiedaknotwithhisfingersandteethandthenheldthebootsoutatarm’slength。”Why，Perez，”hesaid，”I’maveragin’up，sameasItoldyou。
Providencemademeatwo-leggedcritter，andatwo-leggedcritterneedstwoboots。I’vealwaysbeenabletofindoneofthesebootsrightoffwheneverIwantedit，butit’stookmesoplagueylongtofindtheotheronethatwhateverwettherewasdriedupaforeIgotoutofthehouse。YesterdaywhenIwantedtogoclammin’Ifoundtheleftoneonthemantelpiece，notroubleatall，butitwasprettynighhighwaterbeforeIdugtheotheroneoutofthewashb’iler。That’swhyI’msplicin’’emtogetherthisway。I
don’twanttopromisenothin’rash，butI’minhopesthatevenJerrycan’tlose’emnow。””Humph！”gruntedCaptainPerez。”Idon’tthinkmuchofthatplan。
’Steadoflosin’oneyou’lllosebothof’em。””Yes，butthenIshan’tcare。Ifthereain’tNObootsinsight；
I’llgobarefootorstayathome。It’sthekindofresponsiblenessthatgoeswithhavin’onebootthat’swearin’meout。WhereIS
Jerry？””HewentouttofeedLorenzo。Iheardhimcallin’aminuteago。
Thatcatain’tbeenhomesencenoon，andJerry’sworried。”
Astentorianshoutof”Puss！puss！Come，kitty，kitty，kitty！”
camefromsomewhereoutside。CaptainErismiled。”I’m’fraidLorenzo’sgittin’dissipatedinhisoldage，”heobserved。Then，asafatgraycatshotpastthedoor，”Thereheis！Reg’larprodigalson。Comeshomewhenthefattedca’f’sready。”
AmomentlaterCaptainJerryappeared，milkpitcherinhand。Heenteredthediningroomand，puttingthepitcherdownonthetable，pulledforwardthearmchairwiththepaintedsunsetontheback，producedhisownpipe，andproceededtohuntthroughonepocketaftertheotherwithatroubledexpressionofcountenance。”Whereintunketismyterbacker？”heasked，afterfinishingtheroundofpocketsandpreparingtobeginalloveragain。”Iseeitonthetopoftheclockaspellago，”saidCaptainPerez。”Wasthatyours，Jerry？”exclaimedCaptainEri。”Well，that’stoobad！Iseeitthereandthought’twasmine。Here’tis，orwhat’sleftofit。”
CaptainJerrytooktheremnantofaplugfromhisfriendandsaidinanaggrievedtone:”That’sjestlikeyou，Eri！Neverhaveaplacefornothin’andhelpyourselftoanythingyouhappentowant，don’tmakenooddswhose’tis。Whydon’tyoutakecareofyourterbacker，same’sIdoofmine？””Nowseehere，Jerry！Iain’tsosurethatisyours。Letmeseeit。Humph！Ithoughtso！Thisis’NavyPlug’andyoualwayssmoke’Sailor’sSweetheart。’Talkabouthavin’aplaceforthings！””That’sMYterbacker，ifyouwanttoknow，”observedCaptainPerez。”I’vegotyours，Eri。Here’tis。””Well，then，whereISmine？”saidCaptainJerrysomewhatsnappishly。”Betadollaryou’vegotitinyourpocket，”saidCaptainEri。”BettendollarsIain’t！Iain’tquiteafoolyit，EriHedge。I
guessIknow——well，Isnum！Iforgotthatuppervestpocket！”andfromthepocketmentionedCaptainJerryproducedthemissingtobacco。
Therewasagenerallaugh，inwhichCaptainJerrywasobligedtojoin，andthetriosmokedinsilenceforatime，whiletheexpanseofwatertotheeastwarddarkened，andtheouterbeachbecamebutaduskystreakseparatingtheoceanfromtheinnerbay。AtlengthCaptainPerezroseand，knockingtheashesfromhispipe，announcedthathewasgoingto”showaglim。””Yes，goahead，Jerry！”saidCaptainEri，”it’sgittin’dark。””It’sdarkerinthegrave，”observedCaptainPerezwithlugubriousphilosophy。”Thenfortheland’ssakelet’shaveitlightwhilewecan！Here，Jerry！themmatchesisburntones。Trythis，’twon’tbesodamagin’tothemorals。”
CaptainJerrytooktheprofferedmatchandlitthetwobracketlamps，fastenedtothewallsofthediningroom。Theroom，seenbythelamplight，wasshiplike，butasdecidedlynotshipshape。Thechronometeronthemantelwasobscuredbyathicklayerofdust。
Thethreegorgeousoilpaintings——fromthebrushofthelocalsignpainter——respectivelyrepresentingthecoastingpacketHannahM。，EriHedge，Master，andthefishingschooners，GeorgieBaker，JeremiahBurgess，Master，andtheFlyingDuck，PerezRyder，Master，wereshroudedinaveryrealisticfogofthesamedust。Eventheimposinggilt-letteredsetof”LivesofGreatNavalCommanders，”
purchasedbyCaptainPerezsomemonthsbefore，andbeingslowlypaidforonanapparentlynever-endinginstallmentplan，wascloakedwithit。Theheapofnewspapers，shovedunderthecouchtogetthemoutoftheway，peepedforthinatell-talemanner。Thewindowswerenottoocleanandthefloorneededsweeping。
Incidentallythesuppertablehadnotbeencleared。Eachoneofthethreenotedthesethingsandeachsighed。ThenCaptainErisaid，asiftochangethesubject，thoughnoonehadspoken:”Whatstartedyoutalkin’aboutthegrave，Perez？WasitthemclamfrittersofJerry’s？””No，”answeredtheex-skipperoftheFlyingDuck，pullingathisgrizzledscrapofthroatwhiskerandlookingrathershamefaced。”Yousee，M’lissyBusteeddroppedinafewminutesthismornin’
whileyoufellerswasoutand——”
BothCaptainEriandCaptainJerrysetupahilariousshout。”Haw！haw！”roaredtheformer，slappinghisknee。”Iwouldn’tbesofascinatin’asyoubefornomoney，Perez。She’llhaveyouyit；
youcan’tgitaway！Butsay，Idon’twonderyougottothinkin’
’boutthegrave。TenminutesofM’lissygitsmethinkin’ofthingswayt’othersideofthat！””Aw，belaythere，Eri”protestedCaptainPereztestily。”’Twan’tmyfault。Ididn’tseehercomin’orI’dhavegotoutofsight。
Shewascruisin’’roundthewayshealwaysdoeswithacargoofgabble，and，sheputinheretounload。Talk！Ineverheardawomantalkthewayshecan！She’dbeagoodonetohaveonboardinacalm。Githertalkin’abaftthemains’landwe’dhaveatwenty-knotbreezeinashake。””Whatwasitthistime？”askedCaptainJerry。”Oh，alittleofeverything。Shebegunaboutthe’beautiful’
sermonthatMr。Perleypreachedatthelast’Come-Outers’’meetin’。
Thatwaswhatstartedmethinkin’aboutthegrave，Iguess。ThenshepitchedintoSethWingate’swifeforhavin’anewbunnitthisseasonwhentheoldonewan’tha’fworeout。Shetalkedfortenminutesorsoonthat，andthenshebegunaboutParker’sbein’letgooveratthecablestationandaboutthenewfellerthat’sbeensignedtotakehisplace。She’sallforParker。Sayshewasa’perfectlylovely’manandthat’twasoutrageousthewayhewastreated，andallthatsortofthing。””Sheain’ttheonlyonethatthinksso，”observedCaptainJerry。”There’saheapoffolksinthistownthatthinkParkerwasamightyfinefeller。””Yes，”saidCaptainEri，”andit’sworthwhilenoticin’whotheybe。Perez’friend，M’lissy，thinksso，and’Squealer’Wixonandhisgangthinkso，and’Web’Saundersthinksso，andalotmorelikethem。ParkerwasTOOgoodafeller，that’swhatwasthematterwithhim。Histalkalwaysremindedmeofwashdayatthepoorhouse，lotsofsoftsoapwithplentyoflyeinit。””Well，M’lissysaysthatthemenovertothestation——allexceptLangley，ofcourse——aremadasallgit-outbecauseParkerwasletgo，andshesayssomebodytoldsomebodyelse，andsomebodyelsetoldsomebodyelse，andsomebodyelsetoldHER——shesaysitcomereelstraight——thatthemenaregoin’tomakeithotforthenewfellerwhenhecomes。Shesayshisname’sHazeltine，orsomethin’
likethat，andthathe’sgoin’togethereto-morrerornextday。””Well，”saidCaptainEri，”it’samercyM’lissyfounditout。Ifthatmanshouldgithereandshenotknowitaforehand’twouldkillhersureasfate，andthinkwhatablowthatwouldbetoyou，Perez。”
Hetookhisold-fashionedwatchfromhispocketandglancedatthedial。”Imustn’tbesettin’roundheremuchlonger，”headded。”JohnBaxter’sgoin’tohavethatlittlepatchofcranberryswampofhispickedto-morrer，andhe’sexpectin’somebarrelsdownonto-
night’strain。JohnaskedmetogitZoethCahoontocart’emdownforhim，butIain’tgotnothin’specialtodoto-night，soI
thoughtI’dhitchupandgoandgit’emmyself。YouandJerrycanmatchcentstoseewhodoesthedishes。Idid’emlastnight，soit’smywatchbelow。””Well，_I_shan’tdo’em，”declaredCaptainPerez。”BlessedifI’ddothedurnthingsto-nightifthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesaskedmeto。””Humph！”sputteredCaptainJerry。”Is’poseyoufellersthinkI’lldo’emallthetime。Ifyoudoyou’remistook，that’sall。
’Twan’tlastnightyoudone’em，Eri；’twasthenightafore。I
done’emlastnight，andI’mreadytotakemychancesaginifwematch，butI’mjiggeredifIletyoushovethewholethingoffontome。Ididn’tshipforcooknomore’ntherestofyou。”
Neitheroftheotherssawfittoanswerthisdeclarationofindependenceandtherewasapauseintheconversation。ThenCaptainJerrysaidmoodily:”Itain’tnouse。Itdon’twork。””Whatdon’twork？”askedCaptainEri。”Why，thisplanofours。Ithoughtwhenwefellersgiveupgoin’
toseareg’larandsettleddownheretokeephouseourselvesandliveeconomicalandallthat，that’twasgoin’tobefine。I
thoughtIwouldn’tminddoin’myshareoftheworkabit，thought’twouldbekindoffuntoswabdecksandallthat。Well，’twasforaspell，but’tain’tnow。I’msosickofitthatIdon’tknowwhattodo。AndI’msickoflivin’inapigpen，too。Lookatthemdead-lights！They’resodirtythatwhenIturnoutinthemornin’
andgotolookthrough’em，Ican’ttellwhetherit’sfoulweatherorfair。”
CaptainErilookedatthewindowstowardwhichhisfriendpointedandsignedassent。”There’snousetalkin’，”heobserved，”we’vegottohaveastewardaboardthiscraft。””Yes，”saidCaptainPerezemphatically，”astewardorawoman。””AWOMAN！”exclaimedCaptainEri。Thenheshookhisheadsolemnlyandadded，”There，Jerry！WhatdidItellyou？M’lissy！”
ButCaptainPerezdidnotsmile。”Iain’tfoolin’，”hesaid；”Imeanit。”
CaptainJerrythoughtofthespick-and-spandaysofhiswife，deadthesetwentyyears，andsighedagain。”Is’posewemighthaveahousekeeper，”hesaid。”Housekeeper！”sneeredCaptainEri。”Who’dyouhire？Perezdon’t，seemin’ly，taketoM’lissy，andthereain’tnobodyelseinOrhamthatyoucouldgit，’less’twasoldA’ntZubyHiggins，andthatwouldbeactin’likethefellerthatjumpedoverboardwhenhisboatsprungaleak。No，sir！IfA’ntZubyshipsaboardhereIheaveupMYcommission。””WhosaidanythingaboutA’ntZubyorhousekeeperseither？”
inquiredCaptainPerez。”Isaidwe’dgottohaveawoman，andwehave。Oneofus’llhavetogitmarried，that’sall。””MARRIED！”roaredthetwoinchorus。”That’swhatIsaid，married，andtaketheotherstoboardinthishouse。Lookherenow！Whenashipwreckedcrew’sstarvin’oneof’emhastobesacrificedforthegoodoftherest，andthat’swhatwe’vegottodo。Oneofushasgottogitmarriedforthebenefitoftheothertwo。”
CaptainErishoutedhilariously。”Goodboy，Perez！”hecried。”Goin’tobethefirstofferin’？””Notunlessit’smyluck，Eri。We’llallthreematchforit，sameaswedo’boutwashin’thedishes。””Whereareyougoin’tofindawife？”askedCaptainJerry。”Nowthat’sjestwhatI’mgoin’toshowyou。Iseehowthingswasgoin’，andI’vebeenthinkin’thisoverforaconsid’rablespell。
HoldonaminutetillIoverhaulmykit。”
Hewentintothefrontbedroom，andthroughtheopendoortheycouldseehimturningoverthecontentsofthechestwithP。R。inbrassnailsonthelid。Hescatteredabouthimfish-lines，hooks，leadforsinkers，oilclothjackets，whales’teeth，andvariousotherarticles，andatlengthcamebackbearingamuch-crumpledsheetofprintedpaper。Thishespreadoutuponthediningtable，firstpushingasidethedishestomakeroom，and，afteradjustinghisspectacles，saidtriumphantly:”There！Theresheis！TheNup-ti-alChime。AJournalofMatrimony。IseeapieceaboutitintheHeraldtheotherday，andsentadimeforasamplecopy。It’schock-fullofadvertisementsfromwomenthatwantshusbands。”
CaptainEriputonhisspectaclesandhitchedhischairuptothetable。AftergivingthepagesoftheNuptialChimeahurriedinspection，heremarked:”Thereseemstobeastrongrunnin’to’vi-va-ci-ousbrunettes’and’blondeswithtenderandromanticdispositions。’Whichofthemkindsareyousufferin’for，Perez？Oh，say！here’saladythat’swillin’toheaveherselfawayonayoungandhandsomebachelorwithaincomeoftenthousandayear。Seemstomeyououghttoanswerthat。””Oh，hushup，Eri！’Tain’tlikelyI’dwanttowritetoanyoftheminthere。Thethingforustodowouldbetowriteoutaadvertisementofourown；tellwhatsortofwomanwewant，andthensetbackandwaitforanswers。Now，whatdoyousay？”
CaptainErilookedattheadvocateofmatrimonyforamomentwithoutspeaking。Thenhesaid:”Doyoureallymeanit，Perez？””SartinIdo。””Whatdoyouthinkofit，Jerry？””Thinkit’sagoodidee，”saidthatancientmarinerdecisively。”We’vegottodosomethin’，andthislooksliketheonlysensiblething。””ThenEri’sGOTtodoit！”assertedCaptainPerezdogmatically。”Weagreedtosticktogether，andtwotoone’savote。Comeonnow，Eri，we’llmatch。”
CaptainErihesitated。”Comeon，Eri！”orderedCaptainJerry。”Ain’tgoin’tomutiny，areyou？””Allright！”saidCaptainEri，”I’llsticktotheship。Only，”headded，withaquizzicalglanceathiscompanions，”it’sgottobesettledthatthefellerthat’sstuckcanpickhiswife，anddon’thavetomarryunlesshefindsonethatsuitshim。”
Theothersagreedtothisstipulation，andCaptainPerez，drawingalongbreath，tookacoinfromhispocket，flippeditintheairandcoveredit，asitfellonthetable，withabighairyhand。
CaptainErididlikewise；sodidCaptainJerry。ThenCaptainEriliftedhishandandshowedthecoinbeneath；itwasahead。
CaptainJerry’swasatail。UnderCaptainPerez’handlurkedthehiddenfate。TheCaptain’slipsclosedinagrimline。Withadesperateglanceattheothershejerkedhishandaway。
Thepennylayheaduppermost。CaptainJerrywas”stuck。”
CaptainErirose，glancedathiswatch，and，takinghishatfromtheshelfwherethedishesshouldhavebeen，openedthedoor。
Beforehewentout，however，heturnedandsaid:”Perez，youandJerrycanbefixin’uptheadvertisementwhileI’mgone。YoucanletmeseeitwhenIcomeback。Isay，Jerry，”headdedtothe”sacrifice，”whosatgazingatthepenniesonthetableinasortoftrance，”don’tfeelbadaboutit。Why，whenyoucometothinkofit，it’saprovidenceitturnedoutthatway。MeandPerezarebachelors，andwe’dbejestgreenhands。Butyou’reaableseaman，youknowwhatitistomanageawife。””Yes，Ido，”groanedCaptainJerrylugubriously。”Durnit，that’sjestit！”
CaptainEriwaschucklingas，lanterninhand，hepassedaroundthecornerofthelittlewhitehouseonthewaytothebarn。HechuckledallthroughtheharnessingofDaniel，thevenerablewhitehorse。Hewasstillchucklingas，perchedontheseatofthe”truckwagon，”herattledandshookoutoftheyardandturnedintothesandyroadthatleduptothevillage。Andanoutsider，hearingthesechuckles，andknowingwhathadgonebefore，mighthaveinferredthatperhapsCaptainErididnotviewthe”matching”
andthematrimonialprojectwithquitethedeadlyseriousnessoftheothertwooccupantsofthehousebytheshore。
CHAPTERII
THETRAINCOMESIN
ThereisinOrhamaself-appointedcommitteewhosedutyitistoseethetraincomein。Thecommitteemenreceivenosalaryfortheirservices；thesolecompensationisthepleasurederivedfromthesenseofdutydone。Rain，snow，orshine，thecommitteeisonhandatthestation——thenatives，ofcourse，callitthe”deepo”——
toconsumeborrowedtobaccoandtofavorProvidencewithitsadviceconcerningtherunningoftheuniverse。Alsoitdiscusseslocalaffairswithfluencyandmoreorlesspoint。
Mr。”Squealer”Wixon，alifelongmemberofthiscommittee，wasthefirsttosightCaptainEriasthelatterstrolledacrossthetracksintothecircleoflightfromthestationlamps。TheCaptainhadmooredDanieltoapicketinthefenceoverbythefreight-house。
HehadheardtheclockinthebelfryoftheMethodistchurchstrikeeightashedrovebythatedifice，butheheardnowhistlefromthedirectionoftheWestOrhamwoods，soheknewthatthedowntrainwouldarriveatitsusualtime，thatis，fromfifteentotwentyminutesbehindtheschedule。”Hey！”shoutedMr。Wixonwithenthusiasm。”Here’sCap’nEri！
Well，Cap，how’ssheheadin’？””’Boutno’theastbyno’th，”wasthecalmreply。”Runnin’fair，butwithlookoutforwindahead。””Hain’tgotasparechawnowheresaboutyou，haveyou，Cap’n？”
anxiouslyinquired”Bluey”Batcheldor。Mr。Batcheldoriscalled”Bluey”forthesamereasonthatMr。Wixoniscalled”Squealer，”
andthatreasonhasbeenforgottenforyears。
CaptainEriobliginglyproducedablackplugofsmokingtobacco，andMr。Batcheldorbitofftwo-thirdsandreturnedthebalance。
Afteradjustingthemorselsothatitmightinterfereintheleastdegreewithhisvocalmachinery，hedrawled:”Ical’lateyouain’theardthenews，Eri。WebSaundershasgothisoriginal-packagelicense。Itcomeonthenoonmail。”
TheCaptainturnedsharplytowardthespeaker。”Isthatafact？”
heasked。”Whotoldyou？””Seeitmyself。SodidSquealerandawholelotmore。Webwasshowin’itround。””Wewaswonderin’，”saidJabezSmalley，amemberofthecommitteewhosestandingwassomewhatimpaired，inasmuchashewentfishingoccasionallyandwas，therefore，obligedtomisssomeofthemeetings，”whatkindofafitJohnBaxterwouldhavenow。He’sbeenprettynighdistractedeversenceWebstartedhisbilliardroom，callin’ita’ha’ntofsin’andawholelotmorenames。
Thereain’tbeena’Come-Outers’meetin’’senceIdon’tknowwhenthatheain’tpitchedintothatsaloon。Now，whenhehearsthatWeb’sgoin’tosellrum，he’llbustabilersure。”
Thecommitteereceivedthisprophecywithanhilariousshoutofapprovalandeachmemberbegantotalk。CaptainEritookadvantageofthissimultaneousexpressionofopiniontowalkaway。Helookedinatthewindowoftheticket-office，exchangedgreetingswithSamHardy，thestationmaster，andthenleanedagainstthecornerofthebuildingfurthestremovedfromMr。Wixonandhisfriends，lithispipeandpuffedthoughtfullywithatroubledexpressiononhisface。
FromtheclumpofblacknessthatindicatedthebeginningoftheWestOrhamwoodscamealong-drawndismal”toot”；thentwoshorterones。Thecommitteesprangtoitsfeetandlookedinterested。SamHardycameoutoftheticketoffice。Thestage-driver，asharp-
lookingboyofaboutfourteen，withadisagreeableairofcheapsmartnessstickingoutalloverhim，lefthisseatintheshadowofMr。Batcheldor’smanlyform，tossedacigarettestumpawayandloafedovertothevicinityofthe”depotwagon，”whichwasbackedupagainsttheplatform。CaptainEriknockedtheashesfromhispipeandputthatservice-stainedveteraninhispocket。Thetrainwasreally”comingin”atlast。
IfthishadbeenanAugusteveninginsteadofaSeptemberone，bothtrainandplatformwouldhavebeencrowded。Butthebutterflysummermaidenhadflittedand，asishiswont，thesummermanhadflittedafterher，sothepassengerswhoalightedfromthetwocoachesthat，withthefreightcar，madeuptheOrhamBranchtrain，werefewinnumberandhomelyinflavor。Therewasaverystoutladywithacanvasextensioncaseandanumbrellainonehandandabulgingshawl-strapandapasteboardboxintheother，whopantedandwheezedlikethelocomotiveitselfandwhoaskedthebrakeman，”WhatonairthDOtheyhavesuchhighstepsfor？”Therewasaslim，nottosaygawky，individualwithachinbeardandrubberboots，whomthecommitteehailedas”Andy”andwelcomedtoitsbosom。Thereweretwoyoungmen，drummers，evidently，whonoddedtoHardy，andseemedverymuchathome。Also，therewasanotheryoungman，smooth-shavenandsquare-shouldered，whodepositedasuit-caseontheplatformandlookedabouthimwiththeairofbeingveryfarfromhome，indeed。
Thedrummersandthestoutladygotintothestage。Theyoungmanwiththesuit-casepickedupthelatterandwalkedtowardthesamevehicle。Heaccostedthesharpboy，whohadlightedanothercigarette。”Canyoudirectmetothecablestation？”heasked。”Surething！”saidtheyouth，andtherewasnoCapeCodtwisttohisaccent。”Gitaboard。””Ididn’tintendtoride，”saidthestranger。”Whatwasyougoin’todo？Walk？””Yes，ifit’snotfar。”
Theboygrinned，andthemembersofthecommittee，whohadbeenstaringwithalltheirmight，grinnedalso。Theyoungman’smentionofthecablestationseemedtohavecausedconsiderableexcitement。”Oh，itain’ttooFAR！”saidthestage-driver。Thenheadded:”Say，you’rethenewelectrician，ain’tyou？”
Theyoungmanhesitatedforamoment。Thenhesaid，”Yes，”andsuggested，”Iaskedtheway。””Twoblockstotheright；that’sthemainroad，keeponthatforfourblocks，thenturntotheleft，andifyoukeeponstraightaheadyou’llgettothestation。””Blocks？”Thestrangersmiled。”IthinkyoumustbefromNewYork。””Doyou？”inquiredtheyouthfulprodigy，climbingtothewagonseat。”Don’tforgettokeepstraightaheadafteryouturnoffthemainroad。Gitdap！Solong，fellers！”Heleanedoverthewheel，asthestageturned，andbestowedawinkuponthedelighted”Squealer，”whowasholdingonefreckledpawoverhismouth；thenthe”depotwagon”creakedaway。
Thesquare-shoulderedyoungmanlookedaftertheequipagewithanoddexpressionofcountenance。Thenheshruggedhisshoulders，pickedupthesuitcase，andwalkedofftheplatformintothedarkness。
Mr。Wixonremovedthehandfromhismouthanddisplayedamammothgrin，thatgrewintoashriekoflaughterinwhicheverymemberofthecommitteejoined。”Haw！haw！”bellowed”Bluey，””sothat’sthefellerthatdoneParkeroutofhisjob！Well，hemaybemightysmart，butifthatJoeBartlettain’tsmarterthenI’maskate，that’sall！SmartestboyeverIsee！’Ifyoukeeponstraightaheadyou’llgittothestation！’Gosh！he’llhavetowearrubbers！””Maybehe’sweb-footed，”suggestedSmalley，andtheylaughedagain。
AlittlelaterCaptainEri，withadozennew，clean-smellingcranberrybarrelsinthewagonbehindhim，droveslowlydownthe”depotroad。”Itwasaclearnight，buttherewasnomoon，andOrhamwasalmostatitsdarkest，whichisverydark，indeed。The”depotroad”——pleasebearinmindthattherearenostreetsinOrham——wasfullofruts，andalthoughDanielknewhiswayanddidhisbesttofollowit，thecranberrybarrelsrattledandshookinlivelyfashion。Therearefewhomesnearthestation，andthedwellersinthemconscientiouslyrefrainfromshowinglightsexceptintheendsofthebuildingsfurthestfromthefront。Strangersareinclinedtowonderatthis，butwhentheybecomebetteracquaintedwiththetownanditspeople，theycometoknowthatfrontgatesandparlorsare，bythemajorityoftheinhabitants，restrictedintheirusetooccasionssuchasafuneral，or，possibly，awedding。FortheaverageOrhamfamilytositintheparloronaweekeveningwouldbeanactborderingprettycloselyonsacrilege。
ItisfromthehillbytheMethodistchurchthatthevisitortoOrhamgetshisbestviewofthevillage。Itisallabouthim，andforthemostpartbelowhim。Atnightthelightsinthehousesshowonlyhereandtherethroughthetrees，butthoseonthebeachesandatseashineoutplainly。ThebrilliantyellowgleamamileawayisfromtheOrhamlighthouseonthebluff。ThesmallerwhitedotmarksthelightonBaker’sBeach。Thetinyredspeckinthedistance，thatgoesandcomesagain，istheflash-lightatSetuckitPoint，andthetwinkleonthehorizontothesouthisthebeaconofthelightshiponSandHillShoal。
Itisonhisarrivalatthispoint，too，thatthestrangerfirstnoticesthesoundofthesurf。Beinganewcomer，henoticesthisatonce；afterhehasbeeninthevillageafewweeks，heceasestonoticeitatall。Itislikethetickingofaclock，soincessantandregular，thatonehastolistenintentlyforamomentortwobeforehisaccustomedearwillsingleitoutandmakeitdefinite。
Onelow，steady，continuousroar，alittledeeperintonewhenthewindiseasterly，thevoiceoftheolddogOceangnawingwithfoamingmouthattheboneoftheCapeandgrowlingashegnaws。
Itmaybethattheyoungmanwiththesquareshouldersandthesuit-casehadpausedattheturnoftheroadbythechurchtolistentothissongofthesea；atanyratehewasthere，andwhenCaptainEristeeredDanielandthecranberrybarrelsaroundthecornerandintothe”mainroad，”hesteppedoutandhailed。”Ibegyourpardon，”hesaid；”I’mafraidI’mmixedinmydirections。Thestage-drivertoldmethewaytothecablestation，butI’veforgottenwhetherhesaidtoturntotherightwhenI
reachedhere，ortotheleft。”
CaptainEritookhislanternfromthefloorofthewagonandhelditup。Hehadseenthestrangerwhenthelatterleftthetrain，buthehadnotheardthedialoguewithJosiahBartlett。”Howwasyoucal’latin’togotothestation？”heasked。”Why，Iintendedtowalk。””Didyoutellthemfellersatthedepotthatyouwantedtowalk？””Certainly。””Well，Iswan！Andtheygiveyouthedirection？””Yes，”alittleimpatiently；”whyshouldn’tthey？SomanyblockstillIgottothemainstreet，orroad，andsomanymore，tillI
gotsomewhereelse，andthenstraighton。””Blocks，hey？That’sJoeBartlett。Thatboyoughttobemastheaded，andI’vetoldPerezsomore’nonce。Well，Mister，I
guessmaybeyou’dbetternottrytowalktothecablestationto-
night。Yousee，there’sonethingtheyforgottotellyou。Thestation’sontheouterbeach，andthere’saha’fmileofprettywetwaterbetweenhereandthere。”
Theyoungmanwhistled。”Youdon’tmeanit！”heexclaimed。”Isartindo，unlessthere’sbeenanalmightydroughtsinceIleftthehouse。Itellyouwhat！Ifyou’lljumpinherewithme，anddon’tmindwaitin’tillIleavethesebarrelsatthehouseofthemanthatowns’em，I’lldriveyoudowntotheshoreandmaybefindsomebodytorowyouover。Thatis，”withachuckle，”ifyouain’tdeadsetonwalkin’。”
Thestrangerlaughedheartily。”I’mnotsostubbornasallthat，”
hesaid。”It’smightygoodofyou，allthesame。””Don’tsayaword，”saidtheCaptain。”Giveusyoursatchel。Nowyourflipper！Thereyouare！Gitdap，Dan’l！”
DanielacceptedtheCaptain’scommandinatolerantspirit。Hepaddledalongatajog-trotforperhapsahundredyards，andthen，evidentlyfeelingthathehaddoneallthatcouldbeexpected，settledbackintoawalk。TheCaptainturnedtowardshiscompanionontheseat:”Idon’tknowasImentionedit，”heobserved，”butmynameisHedge。””Gladtomeetyou，Mr。Hedge，”saidthestranger。”MynameisHazeltine。””Ikindofjedgeditmightbewhenyousaidyouwantedtogittothecablestation。Weheardyouwasexpected。””Didyou？FromMr。Langley，Ipresume。””No-o，notd’rectly。Ofcourse，weknewParkerhadbeenletgo，andthatsomebodywouldhavetotakehisplace。Iguesslikelyitwasoneoftheoperatorsthattolditfustthatyouwastheman，butanyhowitgotasfurasM’lissyBusteed，andafterthat’twasplainsailin’。YoucomefromNewYork，don’tyou？””Yes。””Well，youknowhow’tiswhenathinggitsintothepapers。Orhamain’tbigenoughtohaveapaperofitsown，sotheAlmightygiveusM’lissy，Ijedge，asasortofsubstitute。ShecanspreadalittlenewsovermorecountrythananybodyIknow。Ifshespreadsbutterthesameway，shecouldmakemoneykeepin’boarders。IsthisyourfustvisittotheCape？””Yes。IhardlyknowwhyI’mherenow。IhavebeenwiththeCableCompanyattheirNewYorkexperimentalstationforsomeyears，andtheotherdaytheGeneralManagercalledmeintohisofficeandtoldmeIwasexpectedtotakethepositionofelectricianhere。I
thoughtitmightaddtomyexperience，soIaccepted。””Humph！Didhesayanythingaboutthegenerallivelinessofthingsaroundthestation？”
Mr。Hazeltinelaughed。”Why，”heanswered，”nowthatyouspeakofit，IrememberthathebeganbyaskingmeifIhadanymarkedobjectiontoprematureburial。”
TheCaptainchuckled。”Theouterbeachinwinterain’texactlyacamp-meetingforsociableness，”hesaid。”AndtheideaofthatBartlettboytellin’youhowtowalkthere！””IsheaspecimenofyourCapeCodyoungsters？””Notexactly。He’sanewshipmentfromNewYork。Grand-nephewofamessmateofmine，Cap’nPerezRyder。Perez，he’sabachelor，buthissister’sdaughtermarriedafellernamedBartlett。Maybeyouknewhim；heusedtorunatugboatintheSound。”
Mr。Hazeltine，muchamused，deniedtheacquaintance。”Well，Is’poseyouwouldn’t，nat’rally，”continuedtheCaptain。”Anyhow，Perez’sniece’shusbanddied，andtheboysortofrunloose，asyermightsay。Wenttoschoolwhenhehadto，andraisedNedwhenhedidn’t，near’sIcanfindout。’Lizabeth，that’shisma，diedlastspring，andshemadePerezpromise——hebeingtheonlyrelationtheyoungsterhad——tofetchtheboydownhereandsortofbringhimup。PerezknowsasmuchaboutbringingupaboyasahendoesabouttheTenCommandments，and’Lizabethmadehimpromisenottolicktheyoungsterandawholelotmorefoolishness。Schooldon’tcommenceheretillOctober，sowegothimajobwithLemMullettattheliv’rystable。He’sboardin’withLemtillschoolopens。Heain’tareelbadboy，butheknowstoomuch’boutsomethingsandnotha’fenough’boutothers。You’veseenfellerslikethat，maybe？”
Hazeltinenodded。”ThereareagoodmanyofthatkindinNewYork，I’mafraid，”hesaid。
CaptainErismiled。”Ishouldn’twonder，”heobserved。”TheboysdownherethinkJosiah’sthewholecrew，andthegirlsain’tfurbehind。There’sbeenmoredeviltryinthisvillagesencehelandedthanthereeverwasafore。Heneedssomethin’，andneedsitbad，butIain’tdecidedjestwhatitisyit。Areyouamarriedman？””No。””Samehere。Neverhadthedisease。Perez，he’shadsymptomseveryonceinawhile，butnothin’lastin’。Jerry’stheonlyoneofusthreethat’sbeenthroughthemill。Hiswifediedtwentyyearago。
Idon’tknowasItoldyou，butJerryandPerezandmearekeepin’
housedownbytheshore。Thatis，wecallitkeepin’house，but——”
HeretheCaptainbrokeoffandseemedtomeditate。
RalphHazeltineforboretointerrupt，andoccupiedhimselfbyscrutinizingthebuildingsthattheywerepassing。Theywerenearingthecenterofthetownnow，andthehouseswereclosertogetherthantheyhadbeenonthe”depotroad，”butneversocloseastobeintheleastcrowded。Eachhousehaditsamplefrontyard，andthenewarrivalcouldsmelltheboxhedgesandsee，nowandthen，thewhitenessofthekalsominedstonesthatborderedadriveway。Itwastoodarkforthebigseashellsatthefrontstepstobevisible，buttheywerethere，allthesame；everythirdhouseofrespectabilityinOrhamhasthem。Therewasanoccasionalshop，too，withsignslike”CapeCodVarietyStore，”or”TheBostonDryGoodsEmporium，”overtheirdoors。Ontheplatformofoneasmallcrowdwasgathered，andfromtheinteriorcameshoutsoflaughterandthesoundofatin-pannypiano。”That’sthebilliardsaloon，”volunteeredCaptainEri，suddenlywakingfromhistrance。”Playpool，Mr。Hazeltine？””Sometimes。””Whatd’yeplayitwith？””Why，withacue，generallyspeaking。””Thatso！Mostofthefellersinthereplayitwiththeirmouths。
Missashotandthenspendtherestoftheevenin’tellin’howithappened。””Idon’tthinkIshouldcaretoplayitthatway，”saidRalph，laughing。”Well，ithasitsgoodp’ints。Kindofall-roundexercise；
developsthelungsandstrengthensthemuscles，asthepatent-
medicinealmanacsays。Parkerplayeditconsiderable。””Ijudgethatyouropinionofmypredecessorisn’tahighone。””Who？Oh，Parker！Hewasallrightinhisway。Goodmanyfolksinthistownsworebyhim。Iunderstandthefellersoveratthestationthoughthewasabouttheticket。””Mr。Langleyincluded？””Oh，Mr。Langley，bein’manager，hadhisownideas，Is’pose！
Langleydon’tplaypoolmuch；notatWebSaunders’place，anyhow。
Weturninhere。”
Theyrolledupalongdriveway，verydarkandovergrownwithtrees，anddrewupatthebackdoorofagood-sizedtwo-storyhouse。
Therewasalightinthekitchenwindow。”Whoa，Dan’l！”commandedtheCaptain。Thenhebegantoshout，”Shipahoy！”atthetopofhislungs。
Thekitchendooropenedandamancameout，carryingalamp，itslightshiningfulluponhisface。Itwasanoldface，asternface，withwhiteeyebrowsandathin-lippedmouth。JustsuchafaceaslookedonwithapprovalwhentheexecutionerhelduptheheadofCharlesI。，atWhitehall。Therewas，however，atrembleaboutthechinthattoldofinfirmhealth。”Hello，John！”saidCaptainEriheartily。”John，letmemakeyouacquaintedwithMr。Hazeltine，thenewmanatthecablestation。
Mr。Hazeltine，thisismyfriend，Cap’nJohnBaxter。”
Thetwoshookhands，andthenCaptainErisaid:”John，Ibroughtdownthembarrelsforyou。Hawkinsgot’emhere，sameashealwaysdoes，bytheskinofhisteeth。Standbynow，’causeI’vegottodeliverMr。Hazeltineatthestation，andit’sgittin’late。”
JohnBaxtersaidnothing，beyondthankinghisfriendforthegoodturn，buthe”stoodby，”asdirected，andthebarrelswerequicklyunloaded。Astheywereabouttodriveoutoftheyard，CaptainEriturnedinhisseatandsaid:”John，guessI’llbeupsometimeto-morrow。Iwanttotalkwithyouaboutthatbilliard-roombusiness。”
ThelampinBaxter’shandshook。”GodA’mighty’sgothiseyeonthatplace，EriHedge，”heshouted，”andonthemthat’srunnin’it！””That’sallright，”saidtheCaptain。”Thenthejob’singoodhands，andweain’tgottoworry。Good-night。”
But，inspiteofthisassurance，Hazeltinenoticedthathisdriverwassilentandpreoccupieduntiltheyreachedtheendoftheroadbytheshore，whenhebroughtthewillingDanieltoastandstillandannouncedthatitwastimeto”changecars。”
Itisafifteen-minuterowfromthemainlandtotheouterbeach，andCaptainErimadeitonscheduletime。Hazeltineprotestedthathewasusedtoaboat，andcouldgoaloneandreturnthedoryinthemorning，buttheCaptainwouldn’thearofit。Thedorysliduponthesandandthepassengerclimbedout。Thesoundofthesurfontheoceansideofthebeachwasnolongerasteadyroar，itwasbrokenintosplashingplungesandhisseswith，runningthroughit，aseriesofblowslikethoseofamuffledhammer。Thewindwaswetandsmeltsalty。”There’sthestation，”saidtheCaptain，pointingtoarowoflightedwindowsaquarterofamileaway。”ItISstraightaheadthistime，andthewalkin’sbetter’nithasbeenforthelastfewminutes。Good-night！”
Theelectricianputhishandinhispocket，hesitated，andthenwithdrewit，empty。”I’mverymuchobligedtoyouforallthis，”hesaid。”I’mgladtohavemadeyouracquaintance，andIhopeweshallseeeachotheroften。””Samehere！”saidtheCaptainheartily。”We’relikelytogittogetheronceinawhile，seein’aswe’renext-doorneighbors，rightacrosstheroad，asyoumightsay。That’smyberthoveryonder，whereyouseethemlights。It’sjest’roundthecornerfromtheroadwedrovedownlast。Good-night！Goodlucktoyou！”
Andhesettledhimselffortherowhome。
CHAPTERIII
THE”COME-OUTERS’”MEETING
ThehousewherethethreeCaptainslivedwasasnearsaltwaterasitcouldbeandremainoutofreachofthehighesttides。WhenCaptainEri，afterbeachingandanchoringhisdoryandstablingDanielforthenight，enteredthediningroomhefoundhistwomessmatesdeepinconsultation，andwithevidencesofstrenuousmentalstrugglewrittenupontheirfaces。CaptainPerez’srighthandwassmearedwithinkandtherewereseveralspattersofthesamefluidonCaptainJerry’sperspiringnose。Crumpledsheetsofnotepaperwereonthetableandfloor，andLorenzo，whowaspurringrestfullyuponthediscardedjacketsofthetwomariners，aloneseemedtobeenjoyinghimself。”Well，youfellerslookasifyou’dhadaroughv’yage，”commentedCaptainEri，slippingoutofhisownjacketandpullinghischairupbesidethoseofhisfriends。”What’sthetrouble？””Gosh，Eri，I’mgladtoseeyou！”exclaimedCaptainPerez，drawingthehand，justreferredto，acrosshisforeheadandtherebyputtingthatportionofhiscountenanceintomourning。”Howdoyouspellconscientious？””Idon’t，unlessit’sowner’sorders，”wastheanswer。”Whatdoyouwanttospellitfor？””We’vewritmuchasfourhundredadvertisements，Idobelieve！”
saidCaptainJerry，”andthereain’toneofthemfittofeedtoapig。Perezhere，he’sgotsuchhifalutin’notions，thatnothin’
lessthanacircusbill’lldohim。_I_don’tseewhysomethin’
plainandsensiblelike’Womanwantedtododishesandcleanhouseforthreemen，’wouldn’tbeallright；butno，it’sgottohavemorefancytrimmin’sthanaSundaybunnit。Foolishness，Icallit。””You’dhaveawholelotofwomenanswerin’thatadvertisement，nowwouldn’tyou？”snortedCaptainPerezhotly。”’Tododishesforthreemen！’That’sahealthybaittocatchawifewith，ain’tit？
Icansee’emcomin’。Ical’lateyou’dstaysingletillJedgment，andthenyouwouldn’tgitone。No，sir！Thethingtodoistobesortofsoft-soapyandhigh-toned。Let’emthinkthey’regoin’togitabargainwhentheygityou。Makebelieveit’sgoin’tobeaprivilegetogitsechahusband。””Well，’tis，”declaredthesacrificeindignantly。”Theymightgitadum-sightworseone。””Ical’latethat’sso，Jerry，”saidCaptainEri。”Still，Perezain’taltogetherwrong。Guessyou’dbetterkeepthedishwashin’
outofit。Iknowdishwashin’wouldnevergitME；I’vegotsoI
hatethesightofsoapandhotwaterasbadasifIwasaPortugee。
Passmethatpen。”
CaptainPerezgladlyrelinquishedthewritingmaterials，andCaptainEri，aftertwoorthreetrials，bywhichheaddedtothepaperdecorationsofthefloor，producedthefollowing:”WifeWanted——Byanex-seafaringmanofsteadyhabbits。MustbewillingtoWorkandKeepHouseshipshapeandaboveboard。Nosea-
lawyersneedapply。Address——Skipper，caretheNuptialChime，Boston，Mass。”
Thelinerelatingtosea-lawyerswasinsisteduponbyCaptainJerry。”That’llshutoutthetongueykind，”heexplained。Theadvertisement，withthisaddition，beingdulyapproved，therequiredfiftycentswasinclosed，aswasalettertotheeditorofthematrimonialjournalrequestingallanswerstobeforwardedtoCaptainJeremiahBurgess，Orham，Mass。Thentheenvelopewasdirectedandthestampaffixed。”There，”saidCaptainEri，”that’sdone。Allyou’vegottodonow，Jerry，istopickoutyourwifeandletusknowwhatyouwantforaweddin’present。You’realuckyman。””Aw，let’stalkaboutsomethin’else，”saidtheluckyonerathergloomily。”What’sthenewsupatthedepot，Eri？”
TheyreceivedthetidingsofthecomingofHazeltinewiththeinterestduetosuchanevent。CaptainErigavethemadetailedaccountofhismeetingwiththenewelectrician，omitting，however，inconsiderationforthefeelingsofCaptainPerez，tomentionthefactthatitwastheBartlettboywhostartedthatgentlemanuponhiswalktothecablestation。”Well，whatdidyouthinkofhim？”askedCaptainPerez，whentherecitalwasfinished。”Seemedtomelikeaprettygoodfeller，”answeredCaptainErideliberately。”Hedidn’tgitmadatthejokethegangplayedonhim，foronething。Heain’tsosmooth-tonguedasParkerusedtobeandhedidn’ttreatBaxterandmeasifCapeCodderswasakindofanimals，thewaysomeofthesummerfolksdo。Hehadthesensenottooffertopaymefortakin’himovertothestation，andI
likedthat。Takeitaltogether，heseemedlikeaprettydecentchap——foraNewYorker，”headded，asanafterthought。”Butsay，”hesaidamomentlater，”I’vegotsomemorenewsanditain’tgoodnews，either。WebSaundershasgothisliquorlicense。””Iwanttoknow！”exclaimedCaptainPerez。”Youdon’ttellme！”saidCaptainJerry。
Thentheybothsaid，”WhatwillJohnBaxterdonow？”AndCaptainErishookhisheaddubiously。
ThecodbitwellnextmorningandCaptainErididnotgetinfromtheWindwardLedgeuntilafternoon。Bytheway，itmaybewelltoexplainthatCaptainJerry’sremarksconcerning”settlin’down”and”restin’，”whichwechronicledinthefirstchaptermustnotbeacceptedtooliterally。Whileitistruethateachofthetriohadgivenuplongvoyages，itisequallytruethatnonehadgivenupworkentirely。Somepeoplemightnotconsideritrestfultoriseatfoureveryweekdaymorningandsailinacatboattwelvemilesouttoseaandhaulawetcodlineforhours，nottomentionthesailhomeandthecleaningandbarrelingofthecatch。CaptainErididthat。CaptainPerezwaswhathecalled”stevedore”——thatis，generalcaretakerduringtheowner’sabsence，atMr。DelancyBarry’ssummerestateonthe”cliffroad。”AsforCaptainJerry，hewasjanitorattheschoolhouse。
Thecatchwasheavythenextmorning，ashasbeensaid，andbythetimethelastfishwassplitandicedandthelastbarrelsenttotherailwaystationitwasalmostsuppertime。CaptainErihadintendedcallingonBaxterearlyintheday，butnowhedeterminedtowaituntilaftersupper。
TheCaptainhadbadluckinthe”matching”thatfollowedthemeal，anditwasnearlyeighto’clockbeforehefinishedwashingdishes。
Thisdistastefultaskbeingcompleted，hesetoutfortheBaxterhomestead。
TheCaptain’sviewsontheliquorquestionwerebroaderthanthoseofmanyOrhamcitizens。Hewasanabstainer，generallyspeaking，buthisscrupleswerenotaspronouncedasthoseofMissAbigailMullett，whoseproudestboastwasthatshehadrefusedbrandywhenthedoctorprescribeditasthestimulantneededtosaveherlife。
OverandoveragainhasMissAbigailtolditinprayer-meeting；howshe”rizup”inherbed，”expectin’everybreathtobethelast”
andsaid，”Dr。Palmer，ifit’sgottobeliquorordeath，thendeathreferredto！”——meaning，itisfairtopresume，thatdeathwaspreferredratherthanthebrandy。Withmuchmoreconcerninghermiraculousrecoverythroughtheaidofa”terbackerandonionpoultice。”
OngeneralprinciplestheCaptainobjectedtothegrantingofalicensetoafellowlike”Web”Saunders，butitwastheeffectthatthisactionoftheStateauthoritiesmighthaveuponhisfriendJohnBaxterthattroubledhimmost。
Forforty-fiveyearsJohnBaxterwascalledbyCapeCodpeople”assmartaskipperasevertrodaplank。”Hesavedmoney，builtanattractivehomeforhiswifeanddaughter，andwould，intheordinarycourseofevents，haveretiredtoenjoyacomfortableoldage。Buthiswifediedshortlyafterthedaughter’smarriagetoaBostonman，andonavoyagetoManila，Baxterhimselfsufferedfromasunstrokeandasubsequentfever，thatlefthimaphysicalwreckandforatimethreatenedtounsettlehisreason。Herecoveredaportionofhishealthandthethreatenedinsanitydisappeared，exceptforareligiousfanaticismthatcausedhimtoaccepttheBibleliterallyandtointerpretitaccordingly。WhenhisdaughterandherhusbandweredrownedintheterribleCityofBelfastdisaster，itisanOrhamtraditionthatJohnBaxter，dressedingunny-bagsandsittingonanash-heap，wasfoundbyhisfriendsmourninginwhathebelievedtobetheBiblical”sackclothandashes。”HislittlebabygranddaughterhadbeenlookedoutforbysomekindfriendsinBoston。OnlyCaptainEriknewthatJohnBaxter’syearlytriptoBostonwasmadeforthepurposeofvisitingthegirlwhowashissolereminderofthethingsthatmighthavebeen，buteventheCaptaindidnotknowthatthemoneythatpaidherboardand，asshegrewolder，forhergownsandschooling，camefromthebigoted，sternoldhermit，livingaloneintheoldhouseatOrham。
InOrham，andinothersectionsoftheCapeaswell，thereisasectcalledbytheungodly，”TheCome-Outers。”TheywereoriginallysecedersfromtheMethodistchurcheswhodisapprovedofmoderninnovations。They”comeout”onceaweektomeetatthehousesofthemembers，andtheirsarelivelymeetings。JohnBaxterwasa”Come-Outer，”andeversincetheenterprisingMr。Saundersopenedhisbilliardroom，theoldman’stiradesofrighteouswrathhadbeendirectedagainstthisdenofiniquity。Sinceitbecameknownthat”Web”hadmadeapplicationforthelicense，itwasaregularamusementfortheunregeneratetoattendthegatheringsofthe”Come-Outers”andhearJohnBaxtercalldownfirefromHeavenuponthebilliardroom，itsproprietor，anditspatrons。OrhampeoplehadbeguntosaythatJohnBaxterwas”billiard-salooncrazy。”
AndJohnBaxterwasCaptainEri’sfriend，afriendshipthathadbeguninschoolwhenthedeclaimerofPatrickHenry’s”LibertyorDeath”speechonExaminationDaytookafancytoandrefusedtolaughatthelittlechapwhotremblinglyventuredtoassertthatheloved”littlePussy，hercoatissowarm。”ThetwohadchangedplacesuntilnowitwasCaptainEriwhoprotectedandadvised。
WhentheCaptainrappedatJohnBaxter’skitchendoornooneanswered，and，afteryelling”Shipahoy！”throughthekeyholeanumberoftimes，hewasforcedtotheconclusionthathisfriendwasnotathome。”Youlookin’ferCap’nBaxter？”queriedMrs。SarahTaylor，wholivedjustacrosstheroad。”He’sgonetoCome-Outers’meetin’，I
guess。There’soneuptoBarzillaSmall’sto-night。”
Mr。BarzillaSmalllivedinthatpartofthevillagecalled”downtotheneck，”andwhentheCaptainarrivedthere，hefoundtheparlorfilledwiththedevout，whoweresomewhatsurprisedtoseehim。”Why，howdoyoudo？”saidMrs。Small，resplendentinblack”alpaca”andwearingherjetearrings。”Isnumifyouain’tastranger！We’llhaveareelmovin’meetin’to-nightbecauseMr。
Perley’shere，andhesayshefeelsthesperrita-workin’。Setrightdowntherebythewhat-not。Luther，”toheroldestbutthree，”giveCap’nHedgeyourchair。Youcansetonthecricket。
Yes，youcan！Don’tanswerback！””Aw，ma！”burstouttheindignantLuther，”howd’yerthinkI’mgoin’tosetonthatcricket？Mylaigs’llbewayupundermychin。MakeHartsetonit；he’sshorter’nme。””Shan’tnuther，LuteSmall！”declaredHartwell，afreckle-facedyoungster，whowasthenextstepdownwardinthefamilystairofchildren。”Setonityourself。Makehim，ma，now！Yousaidhe’dhaveto。””Now，ma，I——””Bestill，bothofyou！Ish’dthinkyou’dbeashamed，witheverybodyhereso！Oh，mysoulandbody！”turningtothecompany，”ifitain’tenoughtotryasaint！Sometimesseems’sifISHOULD
giveup。Youbethankful，Abigail，”toMissMullett，whosatbythedoor，”thatyouain’tgotnineinafamilyandnobodytohelpteach’emmanners。IfBarzillawaslikemostmen，he’dhavesomedis-CIP-lineinthehouse；butno，Ihavetodoitall，and——”
Mr。Small，thuspubliclyrebuked，rosefromhisseatinthecornerbythemelodeonandproclaimedinavoicethathetriedhardnottomakeapologetic:”Now，Luther，ifIwasyouI’dbeagoodboyandmindma。”
Eventhisawe-inspiringcommandhadlittleeffectuponthereluctantLuther，butCaptainEri，who，smilingandbowingrightandleft，hadbeenworkinghispassagetotheothersideoftheroom，announcedthathewasallrightandwould”squeezeinonthesofy’sideofCap’nBaxter。”Sotherewaspeaceoncemore，thatis，asmuchpeaceashalfadozenfemininetongues，allbusywithdifferentsubjects，wouldallow。”Why，Eri”whisperedJohnBaxter，”Ididn’texpecttoseeyouhere。
I’mglad，though；LordknowseveryGod-fearin’maninthistownhasneedtobeonhiskneesthisnight。Haveyouheardaboutit？””Cap’nJohnmeansabouttherum-sellin’licensethatWebSaundershasgot，”volunteeredMissMelissaBusteed，leaningoverfromherseatinthepatentrockerthathadbeenthepremiumearnedbyMrs。
Smallforsellingonehundredandfiftypoundsofteaforamuch-
advertisedhouse。”Ain’titawful？IsaystoPrissyBakerthismornin’，soon’sIheardofit，’Prissy，’s’I，’there’llbeajedgmentonthistownsure’syou’realivin’woman，’s’I。Saysshe，’That’sso，M’lissy，’s’she，andIsays——”
Well，whenMissBusteedtalks，interruptionsarefutile，soCaptainErisatsilent，asthecommentsofatleastone-tenthofthepopulationofOrhamwerepouredintohisears。TherecitationwascutshortbyMrs。Small’svigorouspoundingonthecentertable。”We’reblessedthisevenin’，”saidthehostesswithemotion，”inhavin’Mr。Perleywithus。He’sgoin’toleadthemeetin’。”
TheReverendMr。Perley——Reverendbycourtesy；hehadneverbeenordained——stoodup，clearedhisthroatwithvigor，roseaninchortwoonthetoesofaverysqueakypairofboots，sanktoheellevelagainandannouncedthateveryonewouldjoininsinging，”Hymnnumberonehundredandten，omittingthesecondandfourthstanzas:
hymnnumberonehundredandten，secondandfourthstanzasomitted。”Themelodeon，tormentedbyMrs。LuraniaBassett，shriekedandgroaned，andthehymnwassung。Sowasanother，andyetanother。ThenMr。Perleysqueakedtohistiptoesagain，subsided，andbeganalengthyandferventdiscourse。
Mr。PerleyhadbeenablacksmithinOstablebeforehe”gotreligion，”andnowspentthemajorportionofhistimein”boardin’
’round”with”Come-Outers”upanddowntheCapeandtakingpartintheirmeetings。Hisservicesatsuchgatheringspaidforhisfoodandlodging。Hehadbeenavigoroushorseshoerintheolddays；
nowhepreachedjustasvigorously。
Hespokeofthefaithfulfewheregatheredtogether。Hespokeofthescoffingofthoseoutsidethepaleandhintedattheuncomfortablefuturethatawaitedthem。Heranoverthevariousdenominationsonebyone，andonebyoneshowedthemtobeworshipersofidolsandfollowersafterstrangegods。Hesankhoarselyintothebassandquaveredupintofalsettoandachorusof”Amens！”and”Hallelujahs！”followedhim。”Oh，brothersandsisters！”heshouted，”herewearea-kneelin’atthealtar’sfootandwhat’sgoin’onoutside？Why，theDevil’sgothisclutchesinourmidst。Thehornofthewickedisexalted。
They’resellin’rum——RUM——inthistown！They’rea-sellin’rumanddrinkin’ofitandgloryin’intheirshame。ButtheLordain’tasleep！He’sgothiseyeon’em！He’swatchin’’em！Andsomeofthesefinedayshe’llsenddownfireoutofHeavenandwipe’emoffthefaceoftheearth！””Amen！Glory！Glory！Glory！”
JohnBaxterwasonhisfeet，hisleanfaceworking，theperspirationshiningonhisforehead，hiseyesgleaminglikelampsunderhisroughwhiteeyebrows，andhisclenchedfistspoundingthebackofthechairinfrontofhim。Hishallelujahswerethelasttocease。
CaptainErihadtousesomelittleforcetopullhimdownonthesofaagain。
ThenMrs。Smallstruckup，”Oh，brother，haveyouheard？”andtheysangitwithenthusiasm。Next，MissMulletttoldherstoryofthebrandyandthedefianceofthedoctor。Nobodyseemedmuchinterestedexceptanervousyoungmanwithsandyhairandacelluloidcollar，whohadcomewithMr。TobiasWixonandwasevidentlyastranger。HehadnothearditbeforeandseemedsomewhatpuzzledwhenMissAbigailrepeatedthe”Deathreferredto”
passage。
Therewasmoresinging。Mrs。Small”testified。”SodidBarzilla，withmanyhesitationsandfalsestartsandanairofreliefwhenitwasover。Thenanotherhymnandmoretestimony，eachspeakerdenouncingthebilliardsaloon。ThenJohnBaxteraroseandspoke。
HebeganbysayingthatthepeopleofOrhamhadbeenslothfulintheLord’svineyard。Theyhadallowedweedstospringupandwaxstrong。Theyhadbeentriedandfoundwanting。”Itellyou，brothersandsisters，”hedeclaimed，leaningoverthechairbackandshakingathinforefingerinMr。Perley’sface，”Godhasgivenusatasktodoandhowhavewedoneit？We’vesetstillandlettheDevilhavehisway。We’vetalkedandtalked，butwhathavewedone？Nothin’！Nothin’atall；andnowthegripofSatanistighteronthetownthaniteverhasbeenafore。TheLordsetusawatchtokeepandwe’vesleptonwatch。Andnowthere’satrapsetforeveryyoungmaninthisc’munity。Doyouthinkthatthathell-holedownyonderisgoin’toshutupbecausewetalkaboutitinmeetin’？DoyouthinkWebSaundersisgoin’toquitsellin’rumbecausewesayheoughtto？DoyouthinkGod’sgoin’
towalkuptothatdoorandnailituphimself？No，sir！Hedon’tworkthatway！We’vetalkedandtalked，andnowit’stimetoDO。
Ain’tthereanybodyherethatfeelsacall？Ain’tthereaxestochopwithandfiretoburn？Itellyou，brothers，we’vewaitedlongenough！I——oldasIam——amready。Lord，hereIam！HereI
am——”