d me not to, said the mortgage was costin' me only six per
cent., and why didn't I put the money where 'twas likely to be a good
investment that would pay me eight or ten per cent.? Then I'd be makin'
money, he said. I asked him to invest it for me, and he put it into the
Bay Shore Land Company, where most of his own was."

"Sho! I want to know!" broke in the Captain. "He did, hey! Well, I had
some there, too, and so did Perez. Precious few fam'lies on the Cape
that didn't."

"Yes, he thought 'twas the safest and best place he knew of. The
officers bein' sons of Cape people and their fathers such fine men,
everybody said 'twas all right. I got my dividends reg'lar for a while,
and I went out nussin' and did sewin' and got along reel well. I kept
thinkin' some day I'd be able to pay off the mortgage and I put away
what little I could towards it, but then _I_ was took sick and that
money went, and then the Land Company went up the spout."

The Captain nodded. The failure of the company had brought poverty to
hundreds of widows. Mrs. Snow's case was but another instance.

"Let me see," said the lady. "Where was I? Oh, yes! the Land Company's
failin'. Well, it failed and the insurance money went with it. It was
discouragin', of course, but I had my house, except for the mortgage,
and I had my health again, and, if I do say it, I ain't afraid of work,
so I jest made up my mind there was no use cryin' over spilt milk, and
that I must git along and begin to save all over again. Then Jedge Briar
died and his nephew up to Boston come into the property. I was behind
in my payments a little, and they sent me word they should foreclose the
mortgage, and they did."

"Well, I swan! The mean sculpins! Didn't you have NOBODY you could go
to; no relations nor nothin'?"

"I've got a brother out in Chicago, but he married rich and his wife
doesn't care much for her husband's relations. I never saw her but once,
and then one of the first things she asked me was if it was true that
there was more crazy people in Nantucket than in any other place of
its size on earth, and afore I could answer she asked me what made 'em
crazy. I told her I didn't know unless it was answerin' city folks'
questions. She didn't like that very well, and I haven't heard from
Job--that's my brother--for a long time. All my other near relations are
dead.

"So they foreclosed the mortgage, and gave me notice to move out. I
packed my things, and watered my flo