course.' Then he
said something about his getting old and about ready for the scrap heap,
but at the end he said: 'You ask that young Howard to cruise around
here and see me some one of these days. I want to talk to him.' There!"
triumphantly. "Isn't that splendid? Isn't that something for him to
say?"

Martha beamed delightedly. "For your father to say it's more than
somethin', it's a whole big lot," she declared. "Well, well, well! Cap'n
Jeth invitin' Nelson to come and see him and talk with him! Mercy me!
'Wonders 'll never cease, fish fly and birds swim,' as my own father
used to say," she added, with a laugh. "Mr. Cabot, excuse me for talkin'
about somethin' you don't understand, but, you see, Lulie is--Well,
Primmie, what is it?"

Primmie's face expressed great excitement as she pushed it around the
edge of the kitchen door. "My savin' soul!" was her salutation. "Who
do you suppose is comin' right up our walk this very minute? Raish
Pulcifer, that's who! And--and I bet you he's heard about last night's
doin's, Miss Martha."

A little of Miss Cash's excitement was communicated to the others by her
announcement. To every one except Mr. Bangs, of course. Galusha,
after his acknowledgment of Lulie's thanks, had relapsed into his
absent-minded apathy. Martha looked at Lulie.

"Humph!" she said, after a moment. "Well, let him come, as far as I'm
concerned. I never was afraid of Raish Pulcifer yet and I'm not now.
Lulie, if you don't want to meet him, you might go into the sitting
room."

Lulie hesitated. "Well, perhaps I will," she said. "Father has told me
a little about--Well, I imagine Raish will be disagreeable and I don't
feel like going through more disagreeableness just now. I'll wait in
here till he goes, Martha."

"Perhaps you'd like to go, too, Mr. Cabot," suggested Martha.

Cabot shrugged. "Not unless you wish me to," he replied. "I've never
met this agent of ours and I wouldn't mind seeing what he looks like.
Williams hired him, so he doesn't know me from Adam."

For the first time that morning Miss Phipps addressed her boarder
directly. "How about you, Mr. Bangs?" she asked.

Galusha did not appear to hear the question, and before it was repeated
a knock, loud, portentous, threatening, sounded upon the door.

"Let him in, Primmie," commanded Miss Phipps.

Mr. Pulcifer entered. His bearing was as ominous as his knock. He nodded
to Martha, glanced inquiringly at Cabot, and then turned his gaze u