same reasons. Me
and Cap'n Jonadab called Small "Eddie" behind his back, 'count of his
wife's hailing him as "Edwin."

Well, the Dowager and the Duchess sized each other up, and, recognizing
I jedge, that they was sister ships, set signals and agreed to cruise in
company and watch out for pirates--meaning young men without money who
might want to talk to their daughters. In a week the four women was
thicker than hasty-pudding and had thrones on the piazza where they
could patronize everybody short of the Creator, and criticize the other
boarders. Milo and Eddie got friendly too, and found a harbor behind the
barn where they could smoke and swap sympathy.

'Twas fair weather for pretty near a fortni't, and then she thickened
up. The special brand of craziness in Wellmouth that season was
collecting "antiques," the same being busted chairs and invalid bureaus
and sofys that your great grandmarm got ashamed of and sent to the
sickbay a thousand year ago. Oh, yes, and dishes! If there was one thing
that would drive a city woman to counting her fingers and cutting paper
dolls, 'twas a nicked blue plate with a Chinese picture on it. And the
homelier the plate the higher the price. Why there was as many as six
families that got enough money for the rubbage in their garrets to
furnish their houses all over with brand new things--real shiny,
hand-painted stuff, not haircloth ruins with music box springs, nor
platters that you had to put a pan under for fear of losing cargo.

I don't know who fetched the disease to the Old Home House. All I'm
sartain of is that 'twan't long afore all hands was in that condition
where the doctor'd have passed 'em on to the parson. First along it
seemed as if the Thompson-Small syndicate had been vaccinated--they
didn't develop a symptom. But one noon the Dowager sails into the
dining-room and unfurls a brown paper bundle.

"I've captured a prize, my dear," says she to the Duchess. "A veritable
prize. Just look!"

And she dives under the brown paper hatches and resurrects a pink plate,
suffering from yaller jaundice, with the picture of a pink boy, wearing
curls and a monkey-jacket, holding hands with a pink girl with pointed
feet.

"Ain't it perfectly lovely?" says she, waving the outrage in front of
the Duchess. "A ginuwine Hall nappy! And in SUCH condition!"

"Why," says the Duchess, "I didn't know you were interested in
antiques."

"I dote on 'em," comes back the Dowager, and "my dau