isted upon continuing the three dollars a day rate and Miss
Martha declared he should do nothing of the kind.

"That three dollars a day was just a temporary thing," she said. "I
said it just because I was sure you would go over to Elmer Rogers' if I
didn't. Elmer Rogers is a robber and always was. Father used to say he
was the forty-first member of the Forty Thieves and that they didn't
boil him because he wasn't enough account to waste hot oil on."

"But--ah--it seems to me that if the Rogers' House board is worth three
dollars a day yours should be worth five at least."

"Maybe so, but I never heard anybody but Elmer say his board was worth
one dollar, let alone three."

They compromised on a daily rate of two and a half per day, which each
declared to be ridiculous.

Thus Galusha Cabot Bangs became no longer a transitory but a regular
boarder and lodger at the Phipps' place. The fact became known to Miss
Primrose Cash that forenoon, to the driver of the grocer's cart one hour
later, and to all of East Wellmouth before bedtime. It was news and, in
October in East Wellmouth, one item of local news is a rare and blessed
dispensation.

Before another day had passed the news item had been embellished. Mr.
Bangs visited the general store of Erastus Beebe to purchase headgear
to replace the brown derby. Erastus happened to be busy at the
moment--there were two customers in his store at the same time, an event
most unusual--so Galusha's wants were supplied by no less a person than
Mr. Horatio Pulcifer.

Raish's greeting was condescendingly genial.

"Well, well!" he exclaimed, pumping the little man's arm up and down
with one hand and thumping his shrinking shoulder blades with the other.
"If it ain't the perfessor himself! How are you this mornin', Mr. Bangs?
Right up and comin, eh?"

Galusha would have withdrawn his hand from the Pulcifer clutch if
withdrawal had been possible. It being quite impossible, he murmured
that he was--"ah--quite well" and, conscious that the eyes of Mr. Beebe
and his two customers were fixed upon him, fixed his own gaze upon Mr.
Pulcifer's assortment of watch charms and shivered with embarrassment.

"Ain't it funny, now?" queried Raish, addressing the world in general.
"Ain't it funny how things happen? When I fetched you over in my car
t'other night didn't I say I hoped you and me'd meet again? That's what
I said. And now we've met twice since. Once in the old boneyard and now
here,