couldn’tfindbetterpilotsafloatorashore。Shadrachhasbeentoseaandcommandedvesselsandisusedtogivingordersandhavingthemcarriedout。Hesailedmatewithmeforagoodmanyvoyagesandwasmypartnerashore。Iknowhimfromtrucktokeelson。Heishonestandableandcanhandleanycraft。Hewillkeepthegirlonthecoursesheoughttosailinherschoolingandsuchandseeshedoesnotgetontherocksortaketocruisinginbadcompany。Zoethhashadthelandtraining。Heisapiousmanandasgoodoutsidethechurchasheisin，whichisnotalwaysthecaseaccordingtomyexperience。HehasthenameallupanddowntheCapeofbeingasquare，honeststorekeeper。HewilllookoutforMary’sreligiousbringingupandlearnherhowtokeepstraightandthinksquare。
Youarebothofyoudifferentfromeachotherinmostwaysbutyouareeachofyouhonestandstraightinhisownway。Idon’tleaveMaryinthecareofonebutinthechargeofboth。IknowIamright。
“Hesaidthatverythingtomeagoodmanytimes，“putintheJudge。
“Heseemedtofeelthattheveryfactofyourbeingmenofdifferenttrainingandhabitsofthoughtmadethecombinationideal。Betweenyou，soheseemedtothink，thegirlcouldnothelpbutgrowupassheshould。Iamalmostthrough；thereisalittlemore。“
Iwantyoufellowstodothisformysake。Iknowyouwill，afteryouhavethoughtitover。YouandIhavebeenthroughgoodtimesandbadtogether。Wehavemademoneyandwehaveseenitgofasterthanitcame。Shadhasseenhissavingstakenawayfromhim，partlybecauseItrustedwherehedidnot，andheneverspokeawordofcomplaintnorfoundamiteoffault。Zoethhasbornemygreatesttroublewithmeandthoughhissharewasfarawaybiggerthanmine，hekeptmefrombreakingunderit。IhavenotseenasmuchofyoulatelyasIusedtosee，butthatwasmyfault。Notmyfaultexactly，maybe，butmymisfortune。IhavenotbeenthemanIwasandseeingyoumademerealizeit。ThatiswhyIhavenotbeentoSouthHarnissandwhyIactedsoqueerwhenyoucamehere。Iwassortofashamed，Iguess。YourememberwhentheoldHallandCompanyfirmstartedbusinesstherewerefourofuswhoagreedtostickbyeachotherthroughfoulweatherandfairtillwedied。Oneofthatfourbrokehispromiseandprettynighwreckedusall，ashedidwreckthefirm。NowIamaskingyoutwotostickbymeandmine。IamtrustingandbelievingthatyouaregoingtodoitasI
writethis。WhenyoureaditIshan’tbeonhand。But，ifIamwhereIcanseeandhearIshallstillbebelievingyouwilldothislastfavorforyouroldmessmate。
MARCELLUS。
JudgeBaxterfoldedthesheetsoffoolscapandlaidthemonthetable。Thenhetookoffhisspectaclesandwipedthemwithhishandkerchief。
“Well，gentlemen？“hesaid，afteramoment。
CaptainGoulddrewalongbreath。
“Idon’tthinkit’swell，“heobserved。“Ithinkit’saboutassickasitcanbe，andIcal’lateZoethfeelsthesame；eh，Zoeth？“
Mr。Hamiltondidnotanswer。Heneitherspokenormoved。
“Ofcourse，“saidthelawyer，“itisnotnecessarythatyoumakeupyourmindsthisinstant。Youwillprobablywishafewdaystothinkthematteroverinandthenyoucanletmeknowwhatyoudecide。
YouhaveheardtheletterandIhaveexplainedthesituation。Arethereanyquestionsyouwouldliketoask？“
Shadrachshookhishead。
“No，notfar’sI’mconcerned，“hesaid。“Mymindismadeupnow。I
didthinktherewasn’tanythingIwouldn’tdoforMarcellus。AndI
wouldhavedoneanythinginreason。Butthisain’treason——it’swhatIcalleditinthebeginnin’，craziness。MeandZoethcan’tgocrazyforanybody。“
“Thenyoudecline？“
“Yes，sir；I’mmightysorrybutofcoursewecan’tdosuchathing。
MeandZoeth，oneofusabachallhislife，andt’otheronea——awidowerfortwentyyears，forustotakeachildtobringup！Mysoulandbody！Havin’hungontotheheftofoursensessofar，coursewedecline！Wecan’tdonothin’else。“
“Andyou，Mr。Hamilton？“
Zoethappearedtohesitate。Thenheasked：
“Whatsortofagirlisshe？“
“Mary-’Gusta？She’sabrightchild，andawell-behavedone，generallyspeaking。Ratheroldforheryears，andalittle——well，peculiar。Thatisn’tstrange，consideringthelifeshehasledsincehermother’sdeath。Butsheisagoodgirlandaprettylittlething。Ilikeher；sodoesmywife。“
“Thatwasheratthecemetery，wasn’tit？ShewaswiththatHobbswoman？“
“Yes。“
“Ithoughtso。ShadrachandImetherwhenwewasoverheretwoyearsago。Ithoughttheoneatthegraveyardwasher。Poorlittlecritter！Whereisshenow；atthehouse——atMarcellus’s？“
“Yes；thatis，Isupposesheis。“
“Doyou——doyoucal’latewecouldseeherifwewenttherenow？“
“Yes，Iamsureyoucould。“
Zoethrose。
“Comeon，Shadrach，“hesaid，“let’sgo。“
TheCaptainstaredathim。
“Go？“herepeated。“Where？Home，doyoumean？“
“No，notyet。ImeanovertoMarcellus’stoseethatlittlegirl。“
“ZoethHamilton！Doyoumeantotellme——Whatdoyouwanttoseeherfor？Doyouwanttomakeitharderforherandforusandforallhands？Whatgoodisseein’hergoin’todo？Ain’tittwiceaseasytosaynonowandbedonewithit？“
“Isupposelikely’twouldbe，butitwouldn’tberightMarcellusaskedustodothisthingforhimand——“
“Jumpin’Judas！ASKEDus！Doyoumeantosayyou’rethinkin’ofdoin’whatheasked？Areyouloony，too？Areyou——“
“Shh，Shadrach！Heaskedus，asalastfavor，totakechargeofhisgirl。Ifeelasyoudothatwecan’tdoit，’tain’tsensiblenorpossibleforustodoit，but——“
“Thereain’tanybuts。“
“Buttheveryleastwecandoisgoandseeherandtalktoher。“
“Whatfor？Sowe’llfeelmeanerandmoresneakywhenweHAVEtosayno？Ishan’tgotoseeher。“
“Allright。ThenIshall。YoucanwaithereformetillIcomeback。“
“Holdon，Zoeth！Holdon！Don’t——“
ButMr。Hamiltonwasatthedooranddidnotturnback。JudgeBaxter，whowasfollowinghim，spoke。
“Sitrighthere，Captain，“hesaid。“Makeyourselfascomfortableasyoucan。Weshan’tbelong。“
ForaninstantShadrachremainedwherehewas。Thenhe，too，sprangtohisfeet。Heovertookthelawyerjustasthelatterreachedthesidedoor。
“Hello，Captain，“exclaimedBaxter，“changedyourmind？“
“Changednothin’。Zoeth’smakin’afoolofhimselfandIknowit，butheain’tgoin’tobeafoolALLbyhimself。I’veseenhimtryitaforeand’tain’tsafe。“
“Whatdoyoumean？“
TheCaptaingruntedscornfully。
“Imeanthere’ssafetyinnumbers，whetherit’sthenumberoffoolsoranythingelse，“hesaid。“Oneidiot’sariskyproposition，buttwoorthreeinabunchcanwatcheachother。Comeon，Judge，andbethethird。“
CHAPTERIII
ThewhitehouseonPhinney’sHilllookeddesolateandmournfulwhenthebuggycontainingJudgeBaxterandhistwocompanionsdroveintotheyard。ThewagonbelongingtoMr。Hallett，theundertaker，wasatthefrontdoor，andHallettandhisassistantwereloadinginthefoldingchairs。Mr。Hallettwaswhistlingapopularmelody，but，somehoworother，themusiconlyemphasizedthelonesomeness。Thereislittlecheerinanundertaker’swhistle。
CaptainGould，actingundertheJudge’sorders，pilotedhishorseupthedrivewayandintothebackyard。Theanimalwasmadefasttothebackfenceandthethreemenalightedfromthebuggyandwalkeduptothesidedoorofthehouse。
“Say，Judge，“whisperedtheCaptain，astheyhaltedbythestep，“youdon’tcal’lateIcanfindoutwholoadedupthatmusic-boxchaironme，doyou？IfIcouldmeetthatfellerfortwoorthreeminutesImightfeelmorereconciledatbein’foolenoughtocomeoverhere。“
Mrs。Hobbsansweredtheknockatthedoor——sheinvitedthemin。
WhentoldthattheyhadcometoseeMary-’Gustashesniffed。
“She’sinherroom，“shesaid，rathersharply。“Shehadn’toughttobeletout，butofcourseifyouwanttoseeher，JudgeBaxter，I