suggested the other day. The housekeeper--I suppose it was the
housekeeper--that opened the door, said you were out, and I--"

He was interrupted by a hopeless groan.

"I knew it!" wailed Captain Jerry. "I knew it! And you said there wa'n't
no danger, Eri!"

"Hush up, Jerry, a minute, for the love of goodness! What was she doin',
Mr. Hazeltine, this woman you thought was the housekeeper? Did she look
as if she was gettin' ready to go out? Did she have her bunnit on?"

"No. She seemed to be very much at home. That's why I thought--"

But again Captain Jerry broke in, "Well, by mighty!" he ejaculated.
"That's nice, now, ain't it! SHE goin' away! You bet she ain't! She's
goin' to stay there and wait, if it's forever. She's got too good a
thing. Jest as like 's not, M'lissy Busteed, or some other gab machine
like her, 'll be the next one to call, and if they see that great black
critter! Oh! my soul!"

"Black!" said Ralph amazedly. "Why, the woman at your house isn't black.
She's as white as I am, and not bad-looking for a woman of her age."

"WHAT?" This was the trio in chorus. Then Captain Eri said:

"Mr. Hazeltine, now, honest and true, is that a fact?"

"Of course it's a fact."

The Captain wiped his forehead. "Mr. Hazeltine," he said, "if anybody
had told me a fortn't ago that I was one of the three biggest fools in
Orham, I'd have prob'ly rared up some. As 'tis now, I cal'late I'd thank
him for lettin' me off so easy. You'll have to excuse us to-night, I'm
afraid. We're in a ridic'lous scrape that we've got to git out of all
alone. I'll tell you 'bout it some day. Jest now wish you'd keep this
kind of quiet to oblige me."

Hazeltine saw that this was meant as a gentle hint for his immediate
departure, and although he had a fair share of curiosity, felt there
was nothing else to do. He promised secrecy, promised faithfully to call
again later in the week, and then, the sawhorse having been removed by
Captain Perez,--Captain Jerry was apparently suffering from a sort of
dazed paralysis,--he went away. As soon as he had gone, Captain Eri
began to lay down the law.

"Now then," he said, "there's been some sort of a mistake; that's plain
enough. More 'n likely, the darky took the wrong satchel when she got up
to come out of the car. That woman at the house is the real Marthy Snow
all right, and we've got to go right up there and see her. Come on!"

But Captain Jerry mutinied outright. He declared that the si