“That’sall。It’soverwith；it’sdonewithforever。Ifyoureallycareaboutme，UncleShad——andsometimes，youknow，Ialmostsuspectthatyoureallydo——youwillnever，NEVERsayanotherwordaboutit。
NowcomehereandtellmeaboutthisaccountofHemanRodger’s。
Isn’tittimewetriedtogetapaymentfromhim？“
TheCaptain，althoughstilluneasyandfarfromsatisfied，askednomorequestionsofhisniece。Itwasevidentthatnothingwastobegainedinthatway。Hedid，however，questionIsaiahtolearnifthelatterhadnoticedanythingunusualinCrawford’smannerorifCrawfordhadsaidanythingconcerninghisreasonforcomingonatthattime，butIsaiahhadnoticednothing。
“Umph！“gruntedShadrach，ratherimpatiently，forthemysteryintheaffairirritatedhim。“Ofcourse，youdidn’tnotice。YOUwouldn’tnoticeifyourheadcameoff。“
Mr。Chasedrewhimselfup。“IfIhoveoutsuchastatementasthat，“heobserved，scornfully，“you’dcallmeafool。’Ifmyheadcomeoff！’HowcouldInoticeanythingifmyheadwasoff？Youtellmethat！“
Hisemployergrinned。“Ical’lateyoucoulddoitaboutaswellasyoucanwithiton，Isaiah，“hesaid，andwalkedaway，leavingthecookandstewardincoherentlyanxioustoretortbutlackingammunition。
SoShadrachwasobligedtogiveuptheriddle。Lovers’quarrelswerebynomeansunusual，heknewthat，andmanyyoungloveaffairscametonothing。MaryhadnevertoldhimthatshecaredforCrawford。Butshehadneversaidshedidnotcareforhim。Andnowshewouldsaynothingexceptthatitwas“donewithforever。“TheCaptainshookhisheadandlongedforZoeth’scounselandadvice。
ButZoethwouldnotbeabletocounseloradviseformonths。
AndnowMaryseemedbentuponprovingthetruthofherstatementthatshewashenceforthtobesolelyabusinesswoman。Thesummerbeingover——andithadbeen，everythingconsidered，asuccessfuloneforHamiltonandCompany——itbecametimetobuyfallandwintergoods，alsogoodsfortheholidays。MarywenttoBostononabuyingexpedition。Whenshereturnedandinformedherunclewhatandhowmuchshehadbought，helookedalmostasifhehadbeenlisteningtothereadingofhisdeathwarrant。
“Jumpin’Judas！“heexclaimed。“Youdon’tmeantotellmeyouboughtallthemthingsand——andgotTRUSTEDfor’em？“
“OfcourseIdid，UncleShad。ItistheonlywayIcouldbuythem；
and，sofarasthatgoes，everyonewasgladtosellme。Yousee，ourpayingourbillsupthereinashortertimethanIaskedforhasmadeaverygoodimpression。IcouldhaveboughteverandeversomuchmoreifIhadthoughtitbest。“
“Jumpin’fire！Well，I’mgladyoudidn’tthinkitbest。Whatinthenationwe’regoin’todowithallwehavegotIdon’tsee。“
“Dowithit？Why，sellit，ofcourse。“
“Urn——yes，Ical’latedthatwastheidea，probably；butwho’sgoin’
tobuyit？“
“Oh，lotsofpeople。You’llsee。Iamgoingtoadvertisethisfall，advertiseinthepapers。Oh，we’llmakeBaker’sBazaarandtherestworryalittlebeforewe’rethrough。“
TheCaptainwasinclinedtofearthatthemostoftheworryingwouldbedonebyHamiltonandCompany，butheexpressednomoremisgivings。Besides，ifanyonecouldsellallthosegoods，thatonewashisMary-’Gusta，hewasperfectlysureofthat。Hebelievedherquitecapableofperformingalmostanymiracle。Hadshenotpulledthefirmofftherockswhereheandhispartnerhadalmostwreckedit？Wasn’tshethemostwonderfulyoungwomanonearth？Oldashewas，CaptainShadwouldprobablyhaveattemptedtothrashanypersonwhoexpressedadoubtofthat。
Andthegoodsweresold，allofthemandmore。Theadvertisements，temptinglyworded，appearedinthecountyweeklies，andcircularsweresentthroughthemails。Partlybyenterpriseandpartlythroughinfluence——Mr。Keithhelpedhere——MaryattainedforHamiltonandCompanythecontractforsupplyingthefurnitureanddraperiesforthenewhotelwhichaNewYorksyndicatewasbuildingatOrhamNeck。Itwaspurelyacommissiondeal，ofcourse——everythingwaspurchasedinBoston——andHamiltonandCompany’sprofitwasapercentage，butevenasmallpercentageonsolargeasalemadearespectablefigureonacheckandhelpedtopaymoreofthefirm’sdebts。Andthosedebts，theoldones，werenowreducedtoanalmostnegligiblequantity。
Thesecondhandhorseandwagonstillcontinuedtogoupontheirrounds，buttheboyhadbeenreplacedbyanactiveyoungfellowwhosenamewasCrockerandwhowascapableoftakingordersaswellasdeliveringthem。WhenCaptainShadrachwastold——notconsultedconcerningbuttold——thewagesthisyoungmanwastoreceive，hewas，asheconfidedtoIsaiahafterward，“dismasted，stovein，downbytheheadandsinkin’fast。“
“Mary-’GustaLathrop！“hecried，inamazement。“Areyougoin’starkloony？Payin’thatSimmieCrockerfourteendollarsaWEEKfordrivin’teamandswappin’ourgoodsugarandflourforsewin’-circleliesoverfolks’backfences！Ineverheardsuchathinginmylife。Why，Baker’sBazaardon’tpaythemanontheirteambuttenaweek。Iknowthat’causehetoldmesohimself。AndBaker’sBazaar’sgotmoretradethanwehave。“
“Yes。Andthatisexactlywhyweneedabettermanthantheyhave，sothatWEcangetmoretrade。SimeonCrockerisanambitiousyoungchap。Heisn’tgoingtobecontentedwithfourteenlong。“
“Oh，heain’t，eh？Well，Iain’tcontentedwithitnow，Itellyouthat。Fourteendollarsaweekfordrivin’cart！Jumpin’fire！
Why，thecartitselfain’tworthmore’nfifteenandfortwenty-fiveI’dheaveinthehorseforgoodmeasure。ButI’dnevergetthechance，“headded，“unlessIcouldmakethetradeinthedark。“
Marylaughedandpattedhisshoulder。
“Nevermind，UncleShad，“shesaid，confidently，“SimCrockeratfourteenaweekisagoodinvestment。Hewillgetusalotofnewbusinessnow，andnextsummer——well，Ihavesomeplansofmyownfornextsummer。“
TheChristmasbusinesswasverygoodindeed。Shadrach，Mary，Annabel，andSimeonwerekeptbusy。Customerscame，notonlyfromSouthHarniss，butfromWestandEastHarnissandevenfromOrhamandBayport。Thenewspaperadvertisementswereresponsibleforthisinthebeginning，butthosewhofirstcametoldothersthatthebeststockofChristmasgoodsinOstableCountywastobefoundatthestoreofHamiltonandCompany，inSouthHarniss，andsotheindirect，word-of-mouthadvertising，whichisthebestandmostconvincingkind，spreadandbroughtresults。
Christmasitselfwasaratherdrearyday。Zoeth，althoughimproving，wasnotyetstrongenoughtoleavehisroom，andsotheChristmasdinnerlackedhispresenceatthetable。MaryandShadrachsatwithhimforanhourorso，butthedoctorandnursehadcautionedthemagainstexcitinghim，so，althoughtheCaptainjokedcontinually，hisjokeswereratherfickleandinhismindwashispartner’sprophecyoftwoyearsbefore——thatthetidewhichhad，uptothattime，beencominginforthem，wouldsoonbegintogoout。Shadrachcouldnothelpfeelingthatithadbeengoingout，forpoorZoethatanyrate。Thedoctordeclareditwascominginagain，buthowslowlyitcame！Andhowfarwoulditcome？ThiswasthefirstChristmasdinnerhehadeateninyearswithoutseeingMr。
Hamilton’skindly，patientfaceattheothersideofthetable。
AndMary，althoughshetriedtoappeargayandlighthearted，laughingatheruncle’sjokesandattemptingafewofherown，wasfarfromhappy。Work，CaptainShad’srecipeforproducingforgetfulness，hadhelped，butithadnotcured。Andwhen，asonaholidaylikethis，oratnightaftershehadgonetobed，therewasnoworktooccupyhermind，sherememberedonlytoowell。Crawfordhadwrittenher，ashepromised，afterhisreturnhome。Hewrotethatheandhisfatherwerereconciledandthathehadresumedhisstudies。Theletterwasbraveandcheerful，therewasnotahintofwhiningorcomplaintinit。Marywasproudofhim，proudofhiscourageandself-restraint。Shecouldreadbetweenthelinesandthelonelinessandhopelessnessweretherebuthehaddonehisbesttoconcealthemforhersake。Ifhefeltresentmenttowardher，hedidnotshowit。Lonelyandhopelessassheherselfwas，herheartwentouttohim，butshedidnotrepentherdecision。Itwasbetter，everandeversomuchbetter，asitwas。Hewouldforgetandbehappybyandby，andwouldneverknowhisfather’sshamefulstory。AndpoorUncleZoethwouldneverknow，either。Asforher——
well，shemustwork，workharderthanever。ThankGodthereweresixworkingdaysintheweek！
Shedidnotanswerthatletter。Aftermuchdeliberationshefoughtdownthetemptationanddecidednottodoso。Whatwastheuse？Ifonewishedtoforget，orwishedsomeoneelsetoforget，ifitwasarealwishandnotmerelypretending，thewaytobringaboutthatresultwastodonothingtocauseremembrance。Letters，eventhelettersoffriends，themostplatonicletters，werereminders。ShehadbeggedforCrawford’sfriendship——shecouldnotbringherselftolethimgowithouthearingthatheforgaveherandwouldthinkofherasafriend——butnowshevowedshewouldnotbesosillyandchildishastotorturehimorherselfunnecessarily。Shewouldnotdoit。Andsoshedidnotwrite。
AfterChristmascamethelong，dullwinter。ItwasthemostdiscouragingseasonthesilentpartnerofHamiltonandCompanyhadyetputininhercapacityasmanager。Therewerenocottagerstohelpoutwiththeircustom，veryfewnewcustomers，nofreshfacesinthestore，thesamedreary，deadlyroundfrommorningtillnight。
Shetriedherhardestand，withtheableassistanceofSimCrockerwhowasprovinghimselfatreasure，didsucceedinmakingFebruary’ssaleslargerthanJanuary’sandthoseofMarchlargerthaneither。
ButshelookedforwardtoAprilandtherealspringwithimpatience。
Shehadaplanforthespring。
ItwasinMarchthatsheexperiencedagreatsatisfactionandgaveShadrachthesurpriseanddelightofhislifebycollectingthefirm’sbillagainstMr。JeremiahClifford。Mr。Clifford，itwillberemembered，hadowedHamiltonandCompanyonehundredandtendollarsforalongtime。Therewaseveryindicationthathewasperfectlysatisfiedwiththearrangementandintendedtooweitforever。Maryhadwritten，hadcalleduponhimrepeatedly，hadevenjourneyedtoOstableandconsultedherfriendJudgeBaxter。TheJudgehadpromisedtolookintothematterandhedidso，buthislettertohercontainedlittlethatwashopeful。
Thereismoneythere[wrotetheJudge]。ThemanCliffordappearstobeinverycomfortablecircumstances，butheisashrewd[therewereindicationsherethattheword“rascal“hadbeenwrittenandthenerased]personand，sofarasIcanlearn，thereisnotasingleitemofproperty，realorotherwise，thatisinhisownname。Iftherewere，wemightattachthatpropertyforyourdebt，butwecannotattachMrs。Clifford’sholdings。AllIcanadviseistodiscontinuesellinghimmoregoodsandtoworryhimallyoucanabouttheoldbill。Hemaygrowtiredofbeingdunnedandpay，ifnotall，atleastsomethingonaccount。