; thanks be to the Lord! He got home the very
selfsame day that young Le Force arrove; though nyther of them knowed
anything about the other's coming 'til they met by accident at old Luke
Barriere's store. Now, wasn't that a coinference? 'Truth is stranger nor
friction,' sez I."

"Is he going to sea again, Miss Sibby?" inquired Miss Grandiere.

"Well, I reckon sooner or later he must go, if he won't do nothing else. A
young youth must do something for a living, sez I; and if he don't do one
thing he must do another, sez I. But I do hope next time as he may get a
berth along of your brother George. When is Capting Grandiere expected
home?"

"I don't know. He was at Rio de Janeiro when we heard from him last."

"Ah me! so far as that? That's on the coast of Guinea, ain't it?"

"No; Brazil, South America."

"Well, Lord knows that's far enough. I did hope as the _Kitty_ would be
coming home soon, and Roland could get a berth 'long o' Capting Grandiere.
But there's nothing but disappointment in this world, sez I!"

"The worst case of disappointment I know of is that of poor young Leonidas
Force!" said Mrs. Hedge.

"Now ain't it, though" chimed in Miss Sibby.

"To come home to meet his sweetheart, and find her just about to be
married to another man!"

"And him a furriner! That's what makes me sick! A furriner! Them as has
the least to do with furriners, sez I, comes the best off, sez I! It's all
the gal's fault, too! She fell in love along of this furriner! And her
father, he give in to her, 'cause she cried and took on! But, Lor'! what
could you expect of the young thing, sez I? 'Trot sire, trot dam,' sez I,
'the colt will never pace,' sez I! And you may take my word for that."

"What do you mean, Miss Sibby? How do you apply the proverb to this case?"
inquired Miss Grandiere.

"Why, don't you see? What did her daddy do? 'Stead o' marrying of some old
neighbor's darter, like you, Miss Sukey----"

"No, I thank you!" put in Miss Grandiere.

"Or me," continued Miss Sibby, without noticing the interruption, "or some
other, as everybody knows all about, what did he go and do? Why, he went
'way out yonder to the Devil's Icy Peak, summers, and married of a
stranger and a furriner, and a heathen and a pagan, for aught he knew! and
fetches of her home here to us! That's what her daddy did! And now, what
did her mammy do? Why, 'stead o' marrying of one of her own countrymen and
kinsfolks, she ups and marries a 'Merica