ke the least difference, so far as I am concerned. I'll
never borrow money while I'm alive and I'll try to keep enough one side
to bury me after I'm dead. So don't say any more about lendin'. That's
settled."

Galusha reluctantly realized that it was. He tried a new idea.

"I fear," he stammered, "that my being here may have been a contributory
cause to your--ah--difficulties. Dear me, yes! I have realized since the
beginning that the amount I pay you is ridiculously small."

"WHAT? The board you pay SMALL? Rubbish! You pay me altogether too much
and what I give you to eat isn't worth half of it. But there, I didn't
mean to go into all this at all. What I told you all this long rigmarole
for was to see if you could think of any way for me to turn those
Development Company shares of mine into money. Not what father paid
for them, of course, or even half of it. But SOME money at least. If I
thought they weren't worth anything I shouldn't think of tryin' to sell
'em. I don't want to cheat--or steal. But they tell me they are worth
somethin', maybe will be worth quite a good deal some day and I must
wait, that's all. But, you see, that's what I can't do--wait."

She had been, she said, to every one she could think of, to Pulcifer,
who would not give her any encouragement, declaring that he was "stuck"
worse than she was and was only hoping some one might make a bid for his
holdings; to Captain Jethro, who, relying as usual upon his revelations
from the beyond, blandly told her to wait as he was waiting. It had been
communicated to him that he was to sell his own shares at a profit; if
she waited she might do likewise. The president of the Denboro Trust
Company had been very kind, but his counsel was not too encouraging.
The Development shares were nonsalable at the present time, he said, but
that did not mean that they were valueless. The Skoonic Creek property
was good. Shore land on the Cape was becoming more valuable every year.
Some time--perhaps ten years from now--she might--

"And where will I be in ten years?" asked Martha, sadly. "Goodness
knows, Mr. Bangs, I don't. I tried to get the Trust Company man to take
my shares at almost any price and do the waitin' for me, but he didn't
see it that way. Said the bank was goin' to hold on to what it had, but
it certainly didn't want any more. So there I am.... And yet, and yet if
I COULD sell--if I COULD get two thousand dollars, yes, or even fifteen
hundred just now,