all that; but she snubbed
me just the same. I'm disgusted. I'm through--absolutely and completely
through trying to help that girl!"

Keith did not say, "I told you so"; in fact, he said little or nothing
more at the time. But a day or two afterwards he called at the store.
Zoeth and Captain Shadrach were alone there, their niece having gone
down to the house, a fact of which the caller was aware.

The partners liked John Keith. They considered him, as Captain Shad
said, "a first-rate, everyday sort of feller," who did not patronize nor
put on airs, even though he was a "summer man" and rich. When he talked
with them it was of things they understood, local affairs, the cranberry
crop, fishing, and the doings of the Board of Selectmen. He was willing
to listen as well as talk and he did not refer to permanent residents as
"natives," a habit of his wife's which irritated the Captain extremely.

"Jumpin' fire!" said the latter on one occasion, "every time that woman
calls us town folks 'natives' I feel as if she cal'lated I lived up a
tree and chucked coconuts at folks. I don't wonder some of the South Sea
Islands heathen eat missionaries. If I ATE that woman she might agree
with me; she don't as 'tis. Every time I say yes she says no, and that
makes me think yes harder'n ever."

So Mrs. Keith was not popular with the South Harniss natives, perhaps
because she tried so hard to be; her husband, who apparently did not try
to be, was. He and his opinions were liked and respected. When he came
into the store, therefore, on this occasion, Zoeth and Shad welcomed
him, asked him to sit down, and the conversation began with the
astonishing rise in the price of sea-front property and drifted from
that to other timely and general topics.

Just how it drifted to Mary-'Gusta and her future neither of the
partners could have told--however, drift there it did, and they found
themselves chanting her praises to their caller, who seemed much
interested.

"She is a remarkably capable girl," observed Mr. Keith. "And before we
realize it she will be a young woman. Are you planning that she shall
keep store and keep house for you the rest of her life, or the rest of
yours?"

Zoeth shook his head. "Why," he said, mildly, "I don't know's we've
planned much about it so fur. Those things sort of take care of
themselves, always seemed to me. Or the Almighty takes care of 'em for
us."

Their visitor smiled. "Someone else will be willing an