Zoeth’swelcomewasashearty，ifnotasexuberant，asCaptainShad’s。Hemetheratthedoorandafterthefirsthugandkissheldheroffatarm’slengthandlookedherover。
“My！my！my！“heexclaimed。“AndthisisourlittleMary-’Gustacomebackagain！Itdon’tseemasifitcouldbe，somehow。“
“Butitis，UncleZoeth，“declaredMary，laughing。“AndISN’Titgoodtobehere！Well，Isaiah，“turningtoMr。Chase，who，apronedandshirtsleevedasusual，hadbeenstandinggrinninginthebackground，“haven’tyouanythingtosaytome？“
Isaiahhadsomethingtosayandhesaidit。
“Gladtoseeyou，“heannounced。“Feelin’prettysmart？Gotanewhat，ain’tyou？Supper’sready。“
DuringthemealMarywaskeptbusyansweringquestionsconcerningschoolandherlifeatMrs。Wyeth’s。Inherlettersshehadendeavoredtotelleverypossibleitemofnewswhichmightbeinterestingtoheruncles，butnowtheseitemswereonebyonerecalled，reviewed，anddiscussed。
“’Twaskindoffunny，thatyoungSmithfeller’sturnin’upfordinnerthattime，“observedMr。Hamilton。“Cal’lateyouwassomesurprisedtoseehim，wan’tyou？“
Marysmiled。“Why，yes，“shesaid，“butIthinkhewasmoresurprisedtoseeme，UncleZoeth。“
CaptainShadlaughedheartily。“Shouldn’twonder，“headmitted。
“Didn’tbringanyflypaperalongwithhim，didhe？No？Well，thatwasanoversight。Maybehethoughtflytimewaspastandgone。Heseemedtobearealnicekindofyoungfellerwhenhewasdownherethatsummer。He’soldernow；doesheseemthatwayyet？“
“Why，yes，Ithinkso。Ionlysawhimforalittlewhile。“
Isaiahseemedtothinkittimeforhimtoputinaquestion。
“Goodlookin’asever，Ical’late，ain’the？“heobserved。
Marywasmuchamused。“Why，Isupposeheis，“sheanswered。“Butwhyintheworldareyouinterestedinhisgoodlooks，Isaiah？“
Mr。Chasedidhisbesttoassumeanexpressionofdeepcunning。Hewinkedathisemployers。
“Oh，Iain’tinterested——not’special，“hedeclared，“butIdidn’tknowbutSOMEfolksmightbe。Ho，ho！“
Heroaredathisownpleasantry。CaptainShadrach，however，didnotlaugh。
“Somefolks？“herepeated，tartly。“Whatareyoutalkin’about？
Whatfolks？“
“Oh，Iain’tsayin’whatfolks。I’mjustsayin’SOMEfolks。Ho，ho！YouknowwhatImean，don’tyou，Mary-’Gusta？“
BeforeMarycouldreplytheCaptaincutinagain。
“No，shedon’tknowwhatyoumean，neither，“hedeclared，withemphasis。“That’senoughofthatnow，Isaiah。Don’tbeanybiggerfoolthanyoucanhelp。“
Theself-satisfiedgrinfadedfromIsaiah’sfaceandwassucceededbyalookofsurprisedandrighteousindignation。
“Wha——what’sthat？“hestammered。“What’sthatyou’recallin’me？“
“Iain’tcallin’younothin’。I’mgivin’yousomefreeadvice，that’sall。Well，Mary-’Gusta，Ical’late，ifyou’vehadsupperenough，youandmeandZoethwillgointothesettin’-room，wherewecanalltalkandIcansmoke。Icanalwaystalkbetterunderafullheadofsteam。Comeon，Zoeth，Isaiahwantstobeclearin’thetable。“
ButMr。Chase’sthoughtswerenotconcernedwithtableclearingjustthen。HesteppedbetweenCaptainShadrachandthedoorleadingtothesitting-room。
“Cap’nShadGould，“hesputtered，“you——yousaidsomethin’aboutafool。Who’safool？That’swhatIwanttoknow——who’safool？“
TheCaptaingrunted。
“Giveitup，“heobserved。“Ineverwasanyhandatriddles。Come，come，Isaiah！Getoutofthechannelandletusthrough。“
“Youholdon，Cap’nShad！Youanswermeaforeyouleavethisroom。
Who’safool？Iwanttoknowwho’safool。“
CaptainShadgrinned。
“Well，gouptothepost-officeandasksomeofthegangthere，“hesuggested。“Tell’emyou’llgive’emthreeguesses。There，there！“
headded，good-naturedly，pushingtheirateMr。Chaseoutofthe“channel。““Don’tblockthefairwayanylonger。It’sallright，Isaiah。Youandmehavebeenshipmatestoolongtofightnow。Youriledmeupalittle，that’sall。Comeon，folks。“
Twohourslater，afterMaryhadansweredthelastquestionsevenCaptainShadcouldthinkof，hadreceivedanswerstoallherown，andhadgonetoherroomforthenight，Mr。Hamiltonturnedtohispartnerandobservedmildly：
“Shadrach，whatmadeyousodreadfulpepperytoIsaiahthisevenin’？
Ideclare，Ithoughtyouwasgoin’totakehisheadoff。“
TheCaptaingrunted。“Iwilltakeitoffsometime，“hedeclared，“ifhedon’tkeepthelowerendofitshutwhenhe’doughtto。Youheardwhathesaid，didn’tyou？“
“Yes，Iheard。ThatabouttheSmithboy’sgoodlooks，youmean？“
“Sartin。AndaboutMary-’Gusta’snoticin’howgood-lookin’hewas。
Rubbish！“
“Yes——yes，Iknow，butIsaiahwasonlyjokin’。“
“Jokin’！Well，hemayLOOKlikeacomicalmanac，butheneedn’ttrytojokelikeonewhilethatgirlofoursisaround。Puttin’notionsaboutfellersandgoodlooksandkeepin’companyintoherhead！Youmightexpectsuchstufffromthemfooldrummersthatcometothestore，butanoldleather-skinnedimagelikeIsaiahChaseoughttohavemoresense。Wedon’twantsuchnotionsputinherhead，dowe？“
Zoethrubbedhischin。Hedidnotspeakandhissilenceseemedtoirritatehispartner。
“Well，dowe？“repeatedthelatter，sharply。
Zoethsighed。“No，Shadrach，“headmitted。“Iguesslikelywedon’t，but——“
“Butwhat？“
“Well，we’vegottorealizethatthosekindofnotionscome——comesortofnaturaltoyoungfolksMary-’Gusta’sage。“
“Rubbish！Idon’tbelievethatgirl’sgotasingleoneof’eminhermind。“
“Maybenot，butthey’llbetheresomeday。Ah，well，“headded，“wemustn’tbeselfish，youandme，Shadrach。It’llbedreadfulhardtogiveheruptosomebodyelse，butifthatsomebodyisagoodman，kindandstraightandhonest，why，Iforonewilltrynottocomplain。But，Oh，Shadrach！Supposeheshouldturnouttobetheotherthing。SupposeSHEmakesthemistakethatI——“
Hisfriendinterrupted。
“Shh！shh！“hebrokein，quickly。“Don’ttalkso，Zoeth。Comeontobed，“headded，risingfromhischair。“Thisveryevenin’Iwascallin’Isaiahnamesfortalkin’about’fellers’andsuch，andhereyouandIhavebeensittin’talkin’nothin’else。Ifyouhearmesay’fool’inmysleeptonightjustunderstandI’mtalkin’tomyself，that’sall。Comeonaloft，Zoeth，andturnin。“
ThefollowingmorningMaryastonishedherunclesbyannouncingthatassoonasshehadhelpedIsaiahwiththebreakfastdishesandthebedmakingshewasgoinguptothestore。
“Whatfor？“demandedCaptainShad。“Coursewe’llbemightygladtohaveyourcompany，butZoethandmepresumedlikelyyou’dbeforgoin’roundcallin’onsomeoftheothergirlstoday。“
“Well，I’mnot。Iftheywanttoseemetheycancallonmehere。
I’mgoinguptothestorewithyouandUncleZoeth。IwanttohelpsellthoseChristmasgoodsofours。“
Thepartnerslookedateachother。EvenZoethwasmovedtoprotest。
“Now，Mary-’Gusta，“hesaid，“itain’tlikelythatyourUncleShadrachandIaregoin’toletyousellgoodsinthatstore。Wewon’thearofit，willwe，Shadrach？“
“Notbyathunderin’sight！“declaredShadrach，vehemently。“Theidea！“
“Whynot？I’vesoldagoodmanythere。“
“Idon’tcareifyouhave。Youshan’tsellanymore。’Twasallrightwhenyouwasjusta——agirl，aSouthHarnisserliketherestofus，butnowthatyou’reaBostonyounglady，uptoafin——er——
what-d’ye-call-it？——er——endin’school——“
“Finishin’school，Shadrach，“correctedMr。Hamilton。
“Well，whatever’tis；Iknow’twouldbetheendofMEifIhadtoliveuptothestyleofit。’Anyhow，nowthatyou’rethere，Mary-
’Gusta，ayounglady，sameasIsaid，weain’t——“
ButMaryinterrupted。“Hush，UncleShad，“shecommanded。“Hush，thisminute！You’retalkingnonsense，IAMaSouthHarnissgirlandI’mNOTaBostonyounglady。MychiefreasonsforbeingsoveryhappyatthethoughtofcominghomehereformyChristmasvacationwere，first，thatIshouldseeyouandUncleZoethandIsaiahandthehouseandthehorseandthecatandthehens，and，next，thatI
couldhelpyouwiththeChristmastradeatthestore。Iknowperfectlywellyouneedme。I’mcertainyouhavebeenabsolutelylostwithoutme。Now，reallyandtruly，haven’tyou？“
“Notamite，“declaredtheCaptain，stoutly，spoilingtheeffectofthedenial，however，byadding，althoughhispartnerhadnotspoken：
“Shutup，Zoeth！Weain’t，neither。“
Marylaughed。“UncleShad，“shesaid，“Idon’tbelieveyou。Atanyrate，I’mgoinguptherethisminutetoseeformyself。Comealong！“
Shemadenocommentonwhatshesawatthestore，butfortheremainderoftheforenoonshewasverybusy。Inspiteofthepartners’protests，infactpayingnomoreattentiontothoseperturbedmenofbusinessthaniftheywerefliestobebrushedasidewhenbothersome，shewentahead，arranging，rearranging，dusting，writingpricetickets，letteringplacards，doingallsortsofthings，andwaitingoncustomersintheintervals。Atnoon，whensheandherUncleZoethleftforhomeanddinner，sheannouncedherselfinameasuresatisfied。“Ofcoursethereisagreatdealtodoyet，“shesaid，“butthestocklooksalittlemoreasifitweremeanttosellandlessasifitwereheapedupreadytobecartedoffandburied。“