“Allright，I’llbehave。Butit’sjustasIsay：ifMary’-GustacangetJerryCliffordtopayupI’llswallowJonahandthewhale，too。
’TwasMosesthathittherockandthewatergushedout，wa’n’tit？
Um——hm！Well，thatwassomethin’ofamiracle，butstrikin’JerryCliffordfortencentsandgettin’itwouldbeabiggerone。Why，thatfeller’sgotfistslike——likeoneofthosesensitiveplantsmymotherusedtohaveinthesettin’-roomwindowwhenIwasaboy。
Youtouchaleafofoneofthoseplantsand’twouldshriveluptight。Jerry’sfistsarethatway——touchoneof’emwithanickeland’twillshutup，butnotuntilthenickel’sinside。No，sir！
Ho，ho！“
“Ifyouknewallthis，UncleShad，“suggestedMary，“whyintheworlddidyousellMr。Cliffordatall？Ifhewouldn’tpay，whysellhim？“
Mr。Hamiltonanswered。
“Healwaysdidpay，“hesaid。“Yousee，hehadtohavegroceriesandclothesandsuchandwheneverheneededmoreandthoughtheowedussomuchwewouldn’tputmoreonthebillhe’dpayalittleonaccount。Thatwaywemanagedtokeepupwithhim。“
“Notexactlyupwithhim，“commentedtheCaptain。“Wewasalwaysacoupleoflapsastern，butwecouldkeephiminsight。Nowthenewstoreshavecomeandhecangettrustedtherehedon’tbuyfromus——
orpay，either。What’stheuse？That’swhathethinks，Ical’late。“
Maryconsidered。“Themeanoldsinner！“shesaid。“Ishouldjudge，UncleShad，thatwhatyoutoldmeonce，whenIwasalittlegirl，abouttheFreeMasonsmightapplytoMr。Clifford’spocketbook。YousaidthatonceinMasonryamannevergotout。AdollarinMr。
Clifford’spocketbooknevergetsout，either，doesit？“
Shadrachchuckled。“Youbetitdon’t！“heagreed。“It’sgotalifesentence。And，sofurasthatgoes，theygenerallyopenaMasonlodgemeetin’withprayer，but’twouldtakemore’nthattoopenJerry’spocketbook，I’LLbetyou！“
“And，nevertheless，“declaredMary，laughing，“Imeantomakehimpayourbill。“
Shedidmakethetight-fistedonepayupeventually，butmonthsweretoelapsebeforethatdesirableconsummationwasreached。InthemeantimeshesetherselftocollectingotheramountsowedHamiltonandCompanyandtobuildingupthetradeatthestore。Thecollectingwasnotsodifficultasshehadexpected。TheCaptainandMr。Hamiltonhadbeenreluctanttoasktheirfriendsandneighborstobepromptintheirpayments，andlargelythroughcarelessnessaccountshadbeenpermittedtodropbehind。Marypersonallysawthedebtorsandinmostcases，byofferingslightdiscountsorbyacceptinginstallments，shewasabletoobtainatleastthegreaterpartofthemoneydue。Insomecasesshecouldobtainnothingandexpectednothing，butthesecases，amongthemthatof’RastusYoung，wererathertobeconsideredinthelightofgoodriddanceevenattheprice。AsShadrachsaid，itwasworthafewdollarsnottohavetolistento’RastusorMrs。’Rastuscryovertheirtroubleswhenevertheywantedtoholdupthefirmformoreplunder。
“Lasttime’Rastuswasintobuyanything，“declaredtheCaptain，“heshedsoblamedmanytearsintomyrubberbootsthatIgotwetfeetandsentthebootstothecobbler’stohave’emplugged。I
cal’latedtheyleaked；Ididn’trealize’twasRatworkin’meoutoffourdollarsworthofgroceriesbywaterpower。“
Thecollections，then，thosefromMr。Youngandhisilkexcepted，weresatisfactory。Marywasenabledtobuyandpayforamodestassortmentofsummersupplies，thoseshehadselectedwhileinBoston。Thestoreshehadthoroughlycleanedandrenovated。Thewindowswerekeptfilledwithattractivedisplaysofgoods，andthepricesofthesegoods，assetforthupontickets，wereattractivealso。Businessbegantopickup，notagreatdealatfirst，butalittle，andasMaybroughtthefirstoftheearly-birdsummercottagerstoSouthHarniss，thesilentpartnerofHamiltonandCompanyawaitedthecomingofwhatshouldbethefirm’sbusiestseasonwithhopeandsomeconfidence。
CHAPTERXXI
DuringallthistimeshehadheardfromCrawfordatleastonceaweek。Hewouldhavewrittenoftenerthanthat，hadshepermittedit。Andinspiteofherdeterminationsobravelyexpressedintheirinterviewoverthetelephone，shehadwrittenhimmorethantheonelettershehadpromised。Inthatletter——herfirst——shetoldhimtheexactsituationthereathome；ofherdiscoverythatheruncleswereintrouble，thatthesmall，buttothemprecious，businesstheyhadconductedsolongwasindanger，andofherdeterminationtogiveupschoolandremainatSouthHarnisswhere，sheknew，shewasneeded。Thenshewentontotellofherstillgreaterdiscovery，thatinsteadofbeingayoungwomanofindependentmeans，shewasandalwayshadbeendependentuponthebountyofheruncles。
YoucanimaginehowIfeltwhenIlearnedthis[shewrote]，whenI
thoughtofallthekindnessIhadacceptedattheirhands，accepteditalmostasifitwasmyright，thinkingasIdidthatmyownmoneypaid。AndnowtolearnthatallthetimeIhadnothingandtheyhadgivenoftheirownwhentheyhadsolittle，andgivenitsocheerfully，sogladly。And，Crawford，whenItoldthemwhatIhaddone，theywouldnotacceptthanks，theywouldnotletmeevenspeakofthegreatdebtIowedthem。SofarfromthattheyactedasiftheyweretheoneswhoowedandasifIhadcaughttheminsomedisgracefulact。Why，iftheycould，theywouldhavesentmebacktoBostonandtoschool，whiletheyremainedheretoworkandworryuntilthebankruptcytheyexpectedcame。
DoyouwonderthatIfeelmyfirstandwholedutyistothemandthatnothing，NOTHINGmustbepermittedtointerferewithit？Iamgoingtostayhereandtrytohelp。PerhapsIshallsucceed，andperhaps，whichisjustasprobable，Imayfail；butatanyratewhilemyunclesliveandneedmeIshallnotleavethem。Theygavealltheyhadtomewhentherewasnorealreasonwhytheyshouldgiveanything。TheveryleastIcandoistobewiththemandworkforthemnowwhentheyaregrowingold。
Iamsureyoumustunderstandthisandthat，therefore，youwillforget——
Shepaused。“Forget“wasahardwordtowrite。Fortunatelyshehadwrittenitatthetopofapage，soshetoreupthatsheetandbeganthelineagain。
IamsureyouwillunderstandandthatyouwillseemydutyasIseeitmyself。Itseemstomeclear。Everyonehasduties，Isuppose，butyouandIhaveoursveryplainlyshownus，Ithink。Yoursistoyourfatherandminetomyuncles。
Bringingthatlettertoanendwasadifficulttask。Therewerethingswhichmustbesaidandtheyweresoveryhardtosay。Atlast，aftermanyattempts：
Ihavenotreferred[shewrote]towhatyousaidtomewhenwelastmet。Itseemsalmostuselesstorefertoit，doesn’tit？YouseehowIamplacedhere，andIhavewrittenyouwhatImeantodo。AndpleaseunderstandIamdoingitgladly，Iamhappyinhavingtheopportunitytodoit；butitdoesmeanthatforyearsmylifeandinterestmustbeherewiththem。EvenifIweresureofmyownfeelings——andperhapsIamnotreallysure——IcertainlyshouldnotthinkofaskingoneIcaredfortowaitsolong。Youhaveyourfuturetothinkof，Crawford，andyoumustthinkofit。Andthereisyourfather。Ofcourse，Idon’tknow，butIsomehowfeelcertainthathewillnotwishyoutomarryme。Don’tyouthinkitbetterforusbothtoenditnow？Itseemssohopeless。
Which，sheflatteredherself，wasbraveandsensibleandright。
And，havingreachedthiscommendableconclusionandsealedandpostedtheletter，shecamebacktothehouse，wentupstairstoherroom，and，throwingherselfuponthebed，criedbitterlyformanyminutes。
Yet，inaway，hertearswerewasted。IttakestwotomakeabargainandalthoughshemightnotifyCrawfordSmiththathiscasewashopeless，itbynomeansfollowedthatthatyounggentlemanwouldacceptthenotificationasfinal。Hisreplytoherletterwaspromptandconvincing。Allthereferencestoendingitwerecalmlybrushedaside。Therecouldbebuttwoendings，onebeingtheirmarriage——this，ofcourse，thelogicalandproperending——andtheotherMary’snotifyinghimthatshedidnotlovehim。Anythingelsewasnonsenseandnotworthconsideration。Wait！Hewouldwaitfiftyyearsifnecessary，providedshewouldwaitforhim。Hewasabouttotakeuphisstudiesagain，butnowhewouldfeelthathewasworkingforher。Hisfather，hewassorrytosay，wasnotatallwell。Hewasverynervous，weakandirritable。
Icamehome[hewrote]fullydeterminedtotellhimofyouandmydeterminationtomarryyou——alwaysprovidedyouwillhaveme，youknow——ontheverynightofmyarrival。ButwhenIsawhowpooroldDadwasfeelingandafterthedoctortoldmehowverynecessaryitwasthathisnervoussystembeallowedacompleterest，IdecidedI
mustwait。SoIshallwait；perhapsIshallnottellhimformonths；butjustassoonasheisabletohear，Ishallspeak，andI
amsurehewillsay，“GoodluckandGodblessyou。“Butifhedoesn’t，itwillmakenottheslightestdifference。Ifyouwillhaveme，Marydear，nothingonthisearthisgoingtostopmyhavingyou。That’sassettledandsolidafactastheRockyMountains。
Hepleadedforaletteratleastonceaweek。
Youneedn’tputawordofloveinit[hewrote]。Iknowhowconscientiousyouare，andIknowperfectlywellthatuntilyourmindismadeupyouwon’tfeelitrighttoencouragemeintheleast。Butdopleasewrite，ifonlytotellmehowyouaregettingonwithHamiltonandCompany。IonlywishIweretheretohelpyoupullthosefineoldunclesofyoursoutofthehotwater。Iknowyou’lldoit，though。AndmeanwhileIshallbediggingawayouthereandthinkingofyou。PleasewriteOFTEN。
SoMary，afterconsiderablethoughtandindecision，didwrite，althoughCrawford’ssuggestionthatherlettershavenowordofloveinthemwasscrupulouslyfollowed。Andso，whilethesummercameandwent，theletterscrossedandthenewsoftheslowbutcertainbuildingupofthebusinessofHamiltonandCompanywasexchangedforthatofEdwinSmith’ssteadyregainingofhealthandstrength。
AndHamiltonandCompany’sbusinesswasreviving。Eventheskepticscouldseethesigns。TherevivalbeganbeforethesummerresidentsarrivedinSouthHarniss，butafterthelatterbegantocomeandthecottagestoopen，itwasoninearnest。JohnKeithhelpedtogiveititsfirstbigstart。Mrs。WyethwrotehimofMary’sleavingherschoolworktogototherescueofShadrachandZoeth，andthegirl’spluckanduncomplainingacceptanceofthetasksheconsideredsetforhermadeKeith’seyestwinklewithadmirationashereadtheletter。ThefamilycameearlytoSouthHarnissandthisyearhecamewiththem。OneofhisfirstactsafterarrivalwastostrolldowntothevillageandenterHamiltonandCompany’sstore。Maryandthepartnerswerethere，ofcourse。Heshookhandswiththemcordially。
“Well，Captain，“hesaid，addressingShadrach，“howisthenewhandtakinghold？“
Shadrachgrinned。“Hand？“herepeated。“Idon’tknow’swe’vegotanynewhand，Mr。Keith。Ain’t，havewe，Zoeth？“
Zoethdidnotrecognizethejoke。“HemeansMary’-Gusta，I
cal’late，Shadrach，“hesaid。“She’sdoin’splendid，Mr。Keith。I
don’tknowhowweevergotalongwithouther。“
“Ido，“putinhispartnerpromptly；“wedidn’t，that’show。But，Mr。Keith，youhadn’toughttocallMary’-Gustaa’hand。’Zoethandmearethehandsaboardthiscraft。She’sskipper，andengineer，andpurser，and——yes，andpilot，too。Anddon’tshemakeustumbleuplivelywhenshewhistles！Whew！Don’ttalk！“
“Sheistheboss，then，isshe？“observedKeith。
“Boss！IguessSO！She’sgotUStrained！Why，I’vegotsothatI
jumpoutofbednightsandrunroundtheroominmysleepthinkin’
she’sjustholleredtomethere’sacustomerwaitin’。Oh，she’saharddriver，Mary-’Gustais。Neverhadafustmateaboarddroveharder’nshedoes。Andit’shavin’itseffectonus，too。LookatZoeth！He’sagin’fast；he’sayearolder’nhewastwelvemonthsago。“
Keithlaughed，Marysmiled，andMr。Hamilton，judgingbythebehaviorofthecompanythattherewasajokesomewhereonthepremises，smiledtoo。
“Youmustn’tmindUncleShad，Mr。Keith，“saidMary。“Hetalksagreatdeal。“
“Talkin’salltheexercisemyfacegetsnowadays，“declaredtheCaptaininstantly。“ShekeepsmesobusyIdon’tgettimetoeat。
Whatdoyouthinkofthestore，Mr。Keith？Someimprovement，ain’tit？“