Mr。Sharon，theminister，enteredandshookhandswiththeJudgeandMrs。BaxterandwithMrs。HobbsandMary-’Gusta。Healsopattedthechild’shand。Mrs。Hobbswhisperedtohim，withevidentpride，thatitwas“goin’tobeoneofthebiggestfuneralsevergiveninOstable。“Mr。Sharonnodded。Then，afterwaitingamomentortwo，hetiptoedalongthefronthallandtookuphisstandbytheparlordoor。Therewasafinalrustleofgowns，afinalcrackleofSundayshirtfronts，andthenahushedsilence。
Thesilencewasbrokenbytherattleofwheelsintheyard。Mr。
Hallettatthedoorheldupawarninghand。Amomentlaterheusheredtwopeopleinatthefrontdoorandledthemthroughtheparlorintothe“bigsettin’-room。“Mary-’Gustacouldseethelatecomersplainly。Theywerebothmen，onebigandred-facedandbearded，theothersmall，andthin，andwhite-haired。Arustlepassedthroughthecrowdandeveryoneturnedtolook。Somelookedasiftheyrecognizedthepair，buttheydidnotbow；evidentlyitwasnotpropertobowatfunerals。
Mr。Hallett，ontiptoe，ofcourse，glidedintothelittleroomfromthebigoneandlookedabouthim。Then，totheabsolutestupefactionofMary-’Gusta，hetooktherush-seatedchairinonehandandthemusicchairintheotherandtiptoedout。Heplacedthetwochairsinthebackrowclosetothedoorofthesmallerroomandmotionedtothetwomentosit。
Mary-’Gustacouldstanditnolonger。ShewasafraidofMrs。Hobbs，afraidofMr。Hallett，afraidoftheBaxtersandallthestaringcrowd；butshewasmoreafraidofwhatwasgoingtohappen。Shetuggedatthehousekeeper’ssleeve。
“Mrs。Hobbs！“shewhispered，quiveringly。“Oh，Mrs。Hobbs！“
Mrs。Hobbsshookofftheclutchathersleeve。
“Sshh！“shewhispered。“Sshh！“
“But——butplease，Mrs。Hobbs——“
“Sshh！Youmustn’ttalk。Bestill。Bestill，Itellyou。“
Thesmall，white-hairedmansatdownintherush-seatedchair。Thebigmanhesitated，separatedhiscoattails，andthenhe，too，satdown。
AndthemusicboxundertheseatofthechairhesatininformedeveryonewithcheerfulvigorthattheCampbellswerecoming，Hurrah！
Hurrah！
CaptainShadrachGouldarosefromthatchair，arosepromptlyandwithouthesitation。Mr。ZoethHamiltonalsorose；sodidmanyothersinthevicinity。Therewasastirandarustleandwhisperedexclamations。AndstillthenewsoftheimminentarrivaloftheCampbellswastinkledabroadandcontinuedtotinkle。Someonegiggled，sodidsomeoneelse。Otherssaid，“Hush！“
Mrs。JudgeBaxtersaid，“Heavensandearth！“
Mrs。Hobbslookedasifshewishedtosaysomethingverymuchindeed。
CaptainShadrach’sbaldspotblazedafieryredandheglaredabouthimhelplessly。
Mr。Hallett，whowasusedtounexpectedhappeningsatfunerals——
though，todohimjustice，hehadneverbeforehadtodealwithanythingquitelikethis——rushedtothecenterofthedisturbance。
Mrs。Hobbshastenedtohelp。Togetherandwithwhisperings，theyfidgetedwiththerefractorycatch。Andstillthemusicboxplayed——
andplayed——andplayed。
AtlastMr。Hallettgaveitup。Heseizedthechairandwithitinhisarmsrushedoutintothedining-room。CaptainShadrachGouldmoppedhisfacewithahandkerchiefandstood，becausetherewasnowhereforhimtosit。Mrs。Hobbs，almostasredinthefaceasCaptainShadhimself，hastenedbackandcollapseduponthesofa。
Mr。Sharonclearedhisthroat。
Andstill，frombehindthecloseddoorofthedining-roomthemusicchairtinkledon：
“TheCampbellsarecoming！Hurrah！Hurrah！“Poorlittleguilty，frightenedMary-’Gustacoveredherfacewithherhands。
CHAPTERII
“Andnow，gentlemen，“saidJudgeBaxter，“hereweare。Sitdownandmakeyourselvescomfortable。IshallhaveagooddealtosayandI
expecttosurpriseyou。Sitdown。“
CaptainGouldandMr。HamiltonwereintheJudge’slibraryathishome。Thefuneralwasover，allthatwasmortalofMarcellusHallhadbeenlaidtorestintheOstablecemetery，andhistwofriendsandformerpartnershad，ontheirreturnfromthatcemetery，stoppedattheJudge’s，atthelatter’srequest。Hewished，sohesaid，tospeakwiththemonanimportantmatter。
“Whydon’tyousitdown，Captain？“askedtheJudge，noticingthat，althoughZoethhadseatedhimselfintherockerwhichhishosthadindicated，Shadrachwasstillstanding。
CaptainShadrachlaidahandonthebackofthearmchairandregardedthelawyerwithaverygraveface，butwithatwinkleinhiseye。
“Totellyouthetruth，Judge，“hesaid，slowly，“Idon’tcal’lateI
evershallsetdownagainquitesowhole-heartedasIusedto。Youspokeofasurprise，didn’tyou？I’vehadonesurprisethisafternoonthat’sliabletostaywithmeforaspell。I’manunsuspectin’critter，generallyspeakin’，butafterthat——Say，youain’tgotabrassbandnorfireworkshitchedtoTHISchair，haveyou？“
JudgeBaxterlaughedheartily。“No，“hesaid，assoonashecouldspeak。“No，Captain，myfurnitureisn’tloaded。“
TheCaptainshookhishead。“Whew！“hewhistled，sittingdowngingerlyinthearmchair。“Well，that’samercy。Iain’tsoyoungasIusedtobeandIcouldn’tstandmanysuchshocks。Whew！Don’ttalktoME！WhenthatdevilishjigtunestartedupunderneathmeI’llbetIhoppedupthreefootstraight。Imaybekindofslowsittin’down，butyou’llbearmeoutthatIcanGETUPsuddenwhenit’snecessary。AndIthoughtthedumthingneverwouldSTOP。“
Mr。Hamiltonstirreduneasily。“Hush，hush，Shadrach！“hepleaded。
“Don’tbesoprofane。Rememberyou’vejustcomefromthegraveyard。“
“Comefromit！Byfire！TherewasatimetherewhenI’dhavebeenwillin’togotoit——yes，andstay。AllIwantedwastogetoutofthatroomandhidesomewhereswherefolkscouldn’tlookatme。I
giveyoumywordIcouldfeelmyselfheatin’uplikeanairtightstove。GoodthingIdidn’thaveonacelluloidcollaror’twouldhavebustintoablaze。Ofallthedummedoutragestospringonaman，that——“
“Shadrach！“
“There，there，Zoeth！I’llcalmdown。Butasforswearin’——well，ifyouknewhowfullofcusswordsIwasthereonespellyouwouldn’tfindfault；you’dthankmeforholdin’’emin。Ihadtobattendownmyhatchestodoit，though；Itellyouthat。“
Mr。Hamiltonturnedtotheirhost。“You’llexcuseShadrach，won’tyou，Judge，“hesaid，apologetically。“Hedon’tmeannothin’
wicked，really。AndhefeelsasbadasIdoaboutMarcellus’sbein’
took。“
“CourseIdo！“putintheCaptain。“Zoeth’salwaysscaredtodeathforfearI’mboundtotheeverlastin’brimstone。HeforgetsI’vebeentoseaagoodpartofmylifeandthatafellerhastotalkstrongaboardship。Commonlanguagemaydoforkeepin’store，butitdon’tgetavesselnowheres；thesaltsortoftakesthetangoutofit，seemsso。I’mthroughforthepresent，Zoeth。I’llkeeptheresttillImeettheswabthatloadedupthatchairforme。“
TheJudgelaughedagain。Thenheopenedhisdeskandtookfromadrawertwofoldedpapers。
“Gentlemen，“hesaid，gravely，“Iaskedyoutocomeherewithmebecausethereisanimportantmatter，averyimportantmatter，whichI，asCaptainHall’slegaladviser，mustdiscusswithyou。“
CaptainShadrachandZoethlookedateachother。Theformertuggedathisbeard。
“Hum！“hemused。“Somethin’todowithMarcellus’saffairs，isit？“
“Yes。“
“Wanttoknow！Andsomethin’todowithmeandZoeth？“
“Yes，withbothofyou。This，“holdinguponeofthefoldedpapers，“isCaptainHall’swill。Idrewitforhimayearagoandhehasappointedmehisexecutor。“
Zoethnodded。“Wesupposedlikelyhewould，“heobserved。
“Couldn’tgetabetterman，“addedShadrach，withemphasis。
“Thankyou。CaptainHallleavesallhepossessed——practicallyall；
thereisamatteroftwohundreddollarsforhishousekeeper，Mrs。
Hobbs，andafewotherpersonalgifts——butheleavespracticallyallhepossessedtohisstepdaughter，MaryLathrop。“
Bothhishearersnoddedagain。“Weexpectedthat，naturally，“saidtheCaptain。“It’swhathe’doughttohavedone，ofcourse。Well，she’llbeprettywellfixed，won’tshe？“
JudgeBaxtershookhishead。“Why，no——shewon’t，“hesaid，soberly。“ThatisapartofthesurprisewhichImentionedatfirst。CaptainHallwas，practically，apoormanwhenhedied。“
Thattheprophesiedsurprisewasnowarealitywasmanifest。Bothmenlookedaghast。