alph, like the others, was much surprised at
Miss Preston's application for employment, but, as it was manifestly
none of his business, he, of course, said nothing.

At the next committee meeting Elsie was unanimously chosen to fill Miss
Nixon's shoes as trainer of the young idea at the grammar school, and,
as Miss Nixon was very anxious to be rid of her responsibilities in
order that she might become the carefree bride of a widower with two
small children, the shoe-filling took place in a fortnight.

From her first day's labors Elsie returned calm and unruffled. She had
met the usual small rebellion against a new teacher, and had conquered
it. She said she believed she had a good class and she should get on
with them very nicely. It should be mentioned in passing, however, that
Josiah Bartlett, usually the ring-leader in all sorts of trouble, was a
trifle upset because the new schoolmistress lived in the same house
with him, and so had not yet decided just how far it was safe to go in
trespassing against law and order.

Thanksgiving day came, and the Captains entertained Miss Patience Davis
and her brother and Ralph Hazeltine at dinner. That dinner was an event.
Captain Eri and Mrs. Snow spent a full twenty minutes with the driver of
the butcher's cart, giving him directions concerning the exact breed
of turkey that was to be delivered, and apparently these orders were
effectual, for Captain Luther, who was obliged to hurry back to the
life-saving station as soon as dinner was over, said that he was so full
of white meat and stuffing that he cal'lated he should "gobble" all the
way to the beach. His sister stayed until the next day, and this was
very pleasing to all hands, particularly Captain Perez.

They had games in the evening, and here the captains distinguished
themselves. Seth Wingate and his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Obed Nickerson
came in, as did several other retired mariners and their better-halves.
Obed brought his fiddle and sat in the corner and played the music for
a Virginia reel, and Ralph laughed until he choked to see Captain
Jerry--half of his shirt-collar torn loose from the button and flapping
like a sail--convoy stout Mrs. Wingate from one end of the line to
the other, throwing into the performance all the fancy "cuts" and
"double-shuffles" he learned at the Thanksgiving balls of a good many
years before. Captain Perez danced with Miss Patience, who assured him
she had never had such a good time