Mary-’GustaextendedherhandandMr。Chase，afterwipinghisownhandontheapron，pumpedhersupanddown。
“Pleasedtomeetyou，“hesaid，solemnly。
“Nowforthedunnage，“saidCaptainShad。“There’sthesatcheland——
andtheotherthings。Lookoutforthatbasket！LOOKOUT！“
Mr。Chasehadseizedthebasketandswungitoutofthebuggy。
David，frightenedatthesuddenaerialascension，utteredahowl。
Isaiahdroppedthebasketasifitwasredhot。
“Whatintunket！“heexclaimed。
“Nothin’butacat，“explainedtheCaptain。“’Twon’thurtyou。“
“Acat！What——whosecat？“
“Mine，“saidMary-’Gusta，runningtotherescue。“He’sarealgoodcat。Heain’tcross；he’sscared，that’sall。Honest，heain’tcross。Areyou，David？“
Davidhowledandclawedatthecoverofthebasket。Mr。Chasebackedaway。
“Acat！“herepeated。“Youfetchedacat——here？“
“Sartinwefetchedit。“CaptainShadrachwasevidentlylosingpatience。“Didyouthinkwe’dfetchanelephant？Nowgetoutthem——
themdollbabiesandthings。“
Isaiahstaredatthedolls。Mary-’Gustastoppedpattingthebasketandhastenedtothesideofthebuggy。“I’lltakethedollies，“shesaid。“They’remine，too。“
Amomentlatertheyenteredthehouse。Mary-’Gustaborethreeofthedolls。Mr。Hamiltoncarriedtheothertwo，andIsaiah，withthevaliseinonehandandthebasketcontainingtheshriekingDavidatarm’slengthintheother，ledtheway。CaptainShad，afterinformingthemthathewouldbeaboardinajiffy，droveontothebarn。
Theroomtheyfirstenteredwasthekitchen。Itwassmall，ratheruntidy，andsmeltstronglyoffishandthefriedpotatoes。
“Comerightalongwithme，Mary-’Gusta，“saidZoeth。“Fetchthesatchel，Isaiah。“
“Holdon，“shoutedtheperturbed“cookandsteward。““What——whatinthenationwillIdowiththiscritter？“
The“critter“wasDavid，whowasapparentlyturningsomersaultsinthebasket。
Zoethhesitated。Mary-’Gustasettledthequestion。
“Puthimrightdown，please，“shesaid。“He’llbebettersoonashe’sputdown。He’snevertraveledbeforeandit’skindofstrangetohim。He’llbeallrightandI’llcomebackandlethimoutprettysoon。Mayn’tI，Mr——Mr。Chase？“
“Huh？Yes，yes，youcanifyouwantto，Ical’late。Idon’twantto，that’ssure。“
Hedepositedthebasketonthefloorathisfeet。Mary’-Gustalookedatitratherdubiouslyandforaninstantseemedabouttospeak，butshedidnot，andfollowedMr。Hamiltonfromthekitchen，throughtheadjoiningroom，evidentlythedining-room，andupanarrowflightofstairs。
“Ical’latewe’llputherinthespareroom，won’twe，Isaiah？“
queriedZoeth，withsomehesitation。
Isaiahgrunted。“Guessso，“hesaid，ungraciously，“Ain’tnootherplacethatIknowof。Bedain’tmade，though。“
Thespareroomwasofgoodsize，andsmelledshutupandmusty，asspareroomsinthecountryusuallydo。Itwasfurnishedwithabureau，washstand，andtwochairs，eachpaintedinarobin’seggbluewithspraysofyellowroses。Therewereseveralpicturesonthewalls，theirsubjectsreligiousandmournful。Thebedwas，asMr。Chasehadsaid，notmade；infactitlookedasifithadnotbeenmadeforsometime。
“I’vebeencal’latin’tomakeupthatbedformore’namonth，“
explainedIsaiah。“Lasttime’twasunmadewaswhenZoethhadthatministerfromTrumethereofaSaturdayandSunday。EverydayI’vecal’latedtomakeupthatbed，butIdon’tseemtogetnotime。I’msoeverlastin’busyIdon’tgettimefornothin’，somehow。“
“Icanmakethebed，“declaredMary-’Gusta，eagerly。“Icanmakebedsrealwell。Mrs。Hobbstoldmeso——once。“
Thetwomenlookedateachother。Beforeeithercouldspeakatremendousracketbrokeoutonthefloorbelow，asoundofsomething——orsomebody——tumblingabout，aroarinahumanvoiceandafelinescreech。Mary-’Gustarushedforthestairs。
“Iknewhewould，“shesaid，frantically。“Iwasafraidsomebodywould。ItwasRIGHTinfrontofthedoor。Oh！David，dear！I’ma-
comin’！I’ma-comin’！“
FromthekitchencameCaptainShadrach’svoice。Itsoundedexcitedandangry。
“Whoinblazesleftthatdumcritterrightundermyfeet？“hehollered。“I——Iswan，IbelieveI’vebrokemyneck——orhis——oneort’other。“
WhenZoethandIsaiahreachedthekitchentheyfoundtheCaptainsittinginachair，rubbinghisknees，andMary-’Gustaseatedonthefloorbesidetheopenbasket，huggingthefrightenedandstrugglingDavid。
“I——Iguesshe’sallright，“pantedthechild。“Iwassoafraidhe’dbekilled。Youain’tkilled，areyou，David？“
Davidappearedtoberemarkablysoundandactive。Hewriggledfromhisowner’sarmsandboltedunderthestove。
“No；he’sallright，“saidMary-’Gusta。“Isn’titniceheain’thurt，Mr——ImeanCap’nGould？“
CaptainShadrubbedhisknee。“Um——yes，“hesaid，withelaboratesarcasm；“it’slovely。CourseIdon’tmindbreakin’bothMYlegs，butifthatcathadbeen——er——bruisedoranythingIshouldhavefeltbad。Well，Isaiah，“headded，tartly，turningtothegrinning“steward，““arethemfriedpotatoesofyoursrealorjustinyourmind？“
“Eh？Why——whythey’rerightthereonthestove，Cap’nShad。“
“Wanttoknow！Thensupposeyouput’emonthetable。I’mhungryandI’dliketoeatonemoresquaremealaforesomethin’elsehappenstofinishmealtogether。Byfire！ifthisain’tbeenaday！
Firstthatchair，andthenthatwillandletterofMarcellus’s，andthenthis。Humph！Comeon，allhands，let’seatsupper。Ineedsomethin’solidtobracemeupfortomorrow’sprogram；ifit’suptothis，I’llneedstrengthtolastitthrough。Comeon！“
ThatfirstsupperinthewhitehousebytheshorewasanexperienceforMary-’Gusta。Mrs。Hobbs，inspiteofherfaultfindingandtemper，hadbeenacompetentandcarefulhousekeeper。Mealswhichshepreparedwerewellcookedandneatlyserved。Thismealwasdistinctlydifferent。Therewasenoughtoeat——infact，anabundance——friedcodandthefriedpotatoesandhotbiscuitsanddried-applepie；buteverythingwasputuponthetableatthesametime，andMr。Chasesatdownwiththeothersanddidnoteventroubletotakeoffhisapron。Thetableclothwasnotverycleanandtheknivesandforksandspoonsdidnotglitterlikethosethechildhadbeenaccustomedtosee。
EvenMr。Hamilton，towhommostofthethingsofthisworld——hisbelovedstoreexcepted——seemedtobeunessentialtrivialities，spokeofthetablelinen。
“Seemstome，“heobserved，inhisgentleandhesitatingway，“thistablecloth’ssortofspottedup。Don’tyouthinkso，Shadrach？“
CaptainShad’sreplywasemphaticandtothepoint。
“Looksasif’twasbreakin’outwithchicken-pox，“hereplied。
“Ain’twegotacleanoneinthelocker，Isaiah？“
Mr。Chase’sfaceassumedanaggrievedexpression。
“Coursewehave，“heanswered，“butIdidn’tknowyouwasgoin’tohavecompany。“
“Neitherdidwe。Butwecouldstandacleantable-cloth，evenatthat。“
“I’vegotsomethin’todobesideschangin’tableclothseveryday。“
“Everyday！EveryThanksgivin’Day，youmean。Thisone——“
“Now，look-a-here，Cap’nShad；youknowwellasIdothatSarahJ。
nevercometodothewashin’lastweek。Shewasdownwiththegripandcouldn’tmove。Ifyouexpectmetodowashin’aswellascookandsweepandkeephouseand——andshovelsnow，and——“
“Shovelsnow！Whatkindoftalk’sthat？Thereain’tbeenanysnowsinceFebruary。“
“Don’tmakenodifference。WhentherewasIshoveledit，didn’tI？
Itain’tnouse；Itryandtry，butIcan’tgivesatisfactionandI
might’swellquit。Idon’thavetostayhereandslavemyselftodeath。Icangetanotherjob。There’sfolksinthistownthat’sjustdyin’tohavemeworkforem。“
CaptainShadrachmutteredsomethingtotheeffectthatifIsaiahdidworkforthemtheymightdiesooner。Mr。Chaserosefromhisseat。
“Allright，“hesaid，withdignity。“Allright，thissettlesit。
I’mthrough。AfteralltheyearsIsailedcookalongwithyou，ShadGould，andafteryoubeggin’me——yes，sir，beggin’onyourknees，asyoumightsay，formetorunthishouseforyoulongasyoulived——
afterthat，to——to——Good-by。I’lltrynottolayitupagainstyou。“
Hewasmoving——nothastily，butactuallymoving——towardthekitchendoor。Zoeth，whowasevidentlymuchdisturbed，roseandlaidahandonhisarm。