Mary-'Gusta

eople-that is, a majority of the grown people of Ost

either humble nor obscure; also, he had been talked about a good deal during the fifty-nine years of his sojourn on this planet. So it is not at all surprising that he should be talked about now, when that sojourn was ended. But for all O

cellus's own bones had been discussed and those of his family skeleton disinterred and articulated, the conversat

to become of

exam

ise, seated before his desk in the editorial sanctum, was writi

t Citizen P

row, being a young and very new reporter for a rural weekly, wro

o die-unless one happens to be the person most concerned

st on Tuesday last and called to his reward Captain Marcellus Ha

the last three, had taken absolutely no part in town affairs-political, religious or social. Howe

all's sudd

h" and substitut

h

heavy southeast rains of week before last which developed into pneumonia. He grew rapidly worse and passed away at 3.06 P.M. on Tuesday, leaving a vacancy in our midst

ling, Mr. Sparrow c

rk, who was busy setting type: "What's a good word to use here?

ntly, scanning the eight p

ould be a good thin

t know. Woma

out. Never m

n in South Harniss and followed the sea until 1871, when he founded the firm of Hall and Company, which

ness, would it? Might seem like hintin' at that stuff about

out it, anyway. Up to the boardin' house they've been

hing and print's another.

married Augusta Bangs Lathrop, widow of the late Reverend Charles Lathrop, formerly pastor of the Congregational Church in this town. Captain Hall had been residing in his native town, South Harniss, but after his marriage he took up his residence in Ostable, pu

with the obstruction which was derailing many

's-his wife's, I mean? Marcellus didn't have any relations, as far as anybod

are askin'. I presume likely she'll be looked after. Marcellus left plen

er will have their hands full. She's the most

o Judge Baxter, who led the legal profession of Ostable; and to Mrs. Baxter who, so common repo

hing I ever heard of. You say they don't know-either

myself. Captain Hall read the letter to

I mus

g; that is, it is not binding legally, of course. It's absolutely unbusinesslike and unpractical. Simply a

them very well, but, from what little I've heard, I should say they know as much about what they would be supposed to do as-as you do about t

d the chin and his wife

they can say yes or n

sts entirel

y no, what will beco

n Hall seemed pretty cert

an handkerchief? Well, that's an unexpected miracle; I don't know how you

to the funeral, as

hichever they say I shall keep on fidgeting until I see what happens a

e shook

n Gould, big, stout, and bearded, was driving. Mr. Hamilton, small, thin, smooth-faced and white-haired, was beside him. Both were obviously dressed in their Sunday clothes, Captain Shadr

sighed Mr.

rach snorted

cast loose in a mile. I know we're bound to a funeral but there ain't no need of tollin' the be

ggested his companion, mildly. "Perhap

he wouldn't make any at his own funeral no more than at anybody else's. That wasn't his way. Say nothin'

and lifelong chums as you might say, hadn't seen nor spoken to him for

ust set and looked at us-when he wasn't lookin' at the floor. I never saw such a change in a man. We asked-yes, by fire, we fairly begged him to come and stay with us for a spell, but he never did. Now it ain't no further from Ostable to South Harn

, mildly, "don't talk that way, Shadr

ce his wife died he lived alone in that house, except for a housekeeper and that stepchild, and never went anywhere or had anybody come to see him if he could help it. A reg'lar hermit-that's what he was, a hermit, like Peleg Myrick down to Setuckit P'int

. And, besides, I guess she was a rea

I say is she hadn't no business marry

said she trapped him

't trapped him-set a reg'lar seine for him and hauled him aboard like a school of mackerel-'tain't likely he'd

well, S

s you might say, wasn't with him when he died. If it hadn't been for her he'd have stayed in South Harniss where he belonged. Cons

id not

at his companion, took a hand from the

I didn't mean to-to rake up bygones; I was

adrach. It'

beginnin' to get hot, set me on the back of the stove or somewheres; I'm always liable to bile over

Marcellus! Here's the first br

ll that's left of Hall

ave been far more disastrous than his reference to the troubles following marriage. Zoeth was apparently not curious. To his

child, Mary Lathrop's girl. Who do you

e been wonderin' t

ume likely she's grown up consid'ble since. You remember how she set a

ng and wing like a schooner runnin' afore the wind I'd have been smothered when I put my hat on-nothin' but them ears kept it propped up off my nose. YOU remember that haircut, Zoeth. Well, all the time you and me was in Marcellus's settin'-room that stepchild of his just set and looked at my head. Never took her eyes off it. If she'd said anything 'twouldn't have been so bad; but she didn't-just looked. I could feel my bald spot reddenin' up till I swan to man I thought it must be

oom windows filtered in a mysterious, softened twilight. The covered surrey was a favorite retreat of Mary-'Gusta's. She had discovered it herself-which made it doubly alluring, of course-and she seldom invited her juvenile friends to share its curtained privacy with her. It was her playhouse, her tent, and her enchanted castle, much too sacred to be made common property. Here she came on rainy Saturdays and on many days not rainy when other children, those possessing brothers or sisters, played out of doors. She liked to

David had kittens, which interesting domestic event took place pretty frequently, he-or she-positively refused to be an occupant of that surrey, growling and scratching in a decidedly ungentlemanly-or unladylike-manner. Twice Mary-'G

istic reasoning on its owner's part. She was very fond of the name Rose, the same being the name of the heroine in "Eight Cousins," which story Mrs. Bailey, housekeeper before last for Marcellus Hall, had read aloud to the child. When the new doll came, at Christmas time, Mary-'Gusta wished that she might christen it Rose also. But there was

asped about one knee, thinking. And, although she was thinking of her stepfather who she knew had gone away to a vague place called Heaven-a place variously described by Mrs. Bailey, the former housekeeper, and by Mrs. Susan Hob

s of people talking. The voices were two: one was that of Mrs. Hobbs, the housekeeper, and the other belonged to Mr. Abner Hallett, the undertaker. Mary-'Gusta did

ord or two at intervals, she was perfectly sure they were talking about her. She was certain that if she were to appear at that moment in the door of the barn they would stop talking immediately and look at

not been happy here in Ostable, or, at least, he had not shown his happiness in the way other people showed theirs. To her he had been a big, bearded giant of a man, whom she saw at infrequent intervals during the day and always at night just before she went to bed. His room, with the old-fashioned secretary against the wall, and the stuffed gull on the shelf, and the books in the cupboard, and the

concerning sitting up straight and not disturbing Cap'n Hall by talking too much. On the whole Mary-'Gusta was rather glad when the meals were over. She did not dislike her stepfather; he had never been rough or unkind, but she had always stood in awe of him and had felt that he regarded her as a "pesky nuisance," something to be fed and then shooed out of the way, as Mrs. Hobbs regard

ese memories. Mrs. Bailey had hugged her and had talked a good deal about Captain Hall's being a changed man since his wife's death. "He used to be so different, jolly and good-natured and sociable; you wouldn't know him now if you seen him then. When your mamma was took it just see

elt an unreasonable sense of blame. But real grief, the dreadful paralyzing r

ghtened, but she did not feel

Mary-'Gusta!

gs and scrambled from beneath the dust cover of the surrey. David

bbs," answered the

y-'Gusta noticed that she was not, as usual, garbed in

in'," said

eation for you. I didn't suppose you'd be out here, on this day of all others

you'd be fussin' along with a

ned, apparently expressing a bored c

ntinued Mrs. Hobbs. "It's high time y

?" queried

' your clothe

ress up for

y do. What

ow. I-I've n

d o

been to any. What d

don't ask any more questions, but hurry up

and Rosette. They ought to be

child! You're a reg'lar little-little heathen. Would you want

answered, after reflection. "I guess I'd just as

uld say not. Dolls

ats ei

sk such wick

tion that Heaven-Mrs. Hobbs' Heaven-was a good place for houseke

m. The shades in all the rooms were drawn and the house was dark and gloomy. The child would

n't talk,

mustn

thing to do, that's why. No

shstand and vigorously scrubbed. Then Mrs. Hobbs combed and braided what s

an for once in your life, anyhow. Now hu

very best shoes and dress; als

r stood her in the middle of the floor and wa

he pains with you that anybody could. Now you come downstairs and set right where I tell

that it was not a truly door at all, but merely a make-believe like the painted windows on the sides of her doll house. But now it was wide open and Mr. Hallett, arrayed in a suit of black, the coat of which puckered under the arms, was st

settin'-room," and, indicating the haircloth and black walnut sofa

"don't talk and don't sti

changed, nevertheless. Most of the furniture had been removed. The most comfortable chairs, including the rocker with the parrot "tidy" on the

ous secret hidden beneath its upholstered seat. Captain Marcellus had brought it home years and years before, when he was a sea-going bachelor and made voyages to Hamburg. In its normal condition it was a perfectly quiet and ugly chair, but there was a catch und

d to that temptation at intervals when Mrs. Hobbs and her stepfather were out. And the last time she had touched it she had broken the catch. She had wound up the music box, after hearing it play, but the catch which made it a perfectl

ng command and stopped, hesitating. Mr. Hallett, standing at the end of t

little girl?" he w

," gasped M

're

yes,

ill. You mustn't make any noise. The folks are comin'

e rows of chairs. And, to her horror, these chairs began to fill. People, most of them dressed in church-going garments which rattled and rustled, were tiptoeing in and sitting down where she c

wn into the little room and took two of the remaining chairs. The Judge bowed and smiled and Mrs. Baxter leaned over and patted her

om." The chairs there were almost all taken; soon all were taken and Mr. Hallett was obliged to remove one of those in the small room. There were but two left e

ed to him, with evident pride, that it was "goin' to be one of the biggest funerals ever given in Ostable." Mr. Sharon nodded. Then, after waiting a moment or two, he ti

ugh the parlor into the "big settin'-room." Mary-'Gusta could see the late comers plainly. They were both men, one big and red-faced and bearded, the other small, and thin, and white-

lute stupefaction of Mary-'Gusta, he took the rush-seated chair in one hand and the music chair in the other and tiptoe

Mr. Hallett, afraid of the Baxters and all the staring crowd; but she was mo

hispered, quivering

k off the clutc

e whispere

please, M

talk. Be still. Be

sh-seated chair. The big man hesitated, separa

e sat in informed everyone with cheerful vigor

any others in the vicinity. There was a stir and a rustle and whispered exclamations. And still the news of the imminent ar

ter said, "Hea

she wished to say some

t blazed a fiery red and he

o deal with anything quite like this-rushed to the center of the disturbance. Mrs. Hobbs hastened to help. Together

adrach Gould mopped his face with a handkerchief and stood, because there was nowhere for him to sit. Mrs. Hobbs, almos

losed door of the dining-roo

ah!" Poor little guilty, frightened Mar