nd slowly
shook her head.

"Miss Martha, Miss Martha."

Martha turned, to find Primmie excitedly gesticulating. "Didn't I tell
you? Didn't I tell you?" whispered Primmie.

"Didn't you tell me what? Stop wigglin'."

"Yes'm. Didn't I tell you 'undertaker'?"

"WHAT?"

"Undertaker. Him, the Bangs one. Yesterday 'twas remains, to-day it's
graveyards. My savin' soul, I--"

"Hush, hush! Have you thought to get that dictionary from Lulie yet?"

"Oh, now, ma'am, I snum if I didn't forget it. I'll go right over this
minute."

"No, you won't. I'll go myself after dinner."

That Sunday dinner was a bountiful repast and Galusha ate more than he
had eaten in three meals at his mountain hotel. He was a trifle tired
from his morning's stroll and so decided to remain indoors until the
following day. After the table was cleared Miss Phipps, leaving Primmie
to wash the dishes, went over to the light keeper's house.

"I'll be back soon, Mr. Bangs," she said. "If you get lonesome go out
into the kitchen and Primmie'll talk to you. Goodness gracious!" she
added, laughing, "that's a dreadful choice I'm leavin' you--lonesomeness
or Primmie. Well, I won't leave you to either long."

During the meal he had told them of his chance discovery of the old
church and graveyard and of the loss of the brown derby. Primmie plainly
regarded the catastrophe to the hat as a serious matter.

"Well, now, if that ain't too bad!" she exclaimed. "Blowed right out to
sea, and 'most brand-new, too. My savin' soul, Miss Martha, folks ought
to be careful what they say, hadn't they?... Eh, hadn't they?"

"Oh, I guess so, Primmie. I don't know what you're talkin' about. Can't
I help you to a little more of the chicken pie, Mr. Bangs? Just a little
BIT more?"

Galusha had scarcely time to decline the third helping of chicken pie
when Primmie plunged again into the conversation.

"Why, I mean folks ought to be careful what they say about--about
things. Now you and me hadn't no notion Mr. Bangs was goin' to lose his
hat when we was talkin' about it this mornin', had we?"

Miss Phipps was much embarrassed.

"Have a--a--Oh, do have a little potato or cranberry sauce or somethin',
Mr. Bangs," she stammered. "A--a spoonful, that's all. Primmie, be
STILL."

"Yes'm. But you know you and me WAS talkin' about that hat when Mr.
Bangs started out walkin'. Don't you know we was, Miss Martha?"

This was the final straw. Martha, looking about in desperation,