Galusha the Magnificent

r. It was with considerable foreboding that Martha called Lulie up on the telephone the next morning. But the news she received in answer to her ca

t once mentioned the seance or anything that happened there. If it wasn't

rtha, eagerly. "So long as HE is willin' not to reme

the 'evil influence' put him 'way off his course and he hasn't got his bearin's yet. He's probably tryin' to think his way through the fog and he won't talk till he sees a ligh

ain met Galusha on the road leading to the village and

it's kind of queer my not sayin' a word to you ab

d was mentally thousands of miles away-on the banks

ourse," he stammered

my pardon. I don't blame you f

on't know that I quite comprehend. Of w

t's queer that I haven't said a word about wh

Miss Hoag sa

n' but the go-between. 'Twas my wife that said it. Yo

-why-I

Don't you

o doubt,

n, Julia said there was a dark man heav

she said he was present among us. So far as

an evil influ

-hope not.

are. No, there is some mistake somewheres.

llett, Mr. Howar

neither. But I'm bettin' 'twas him s

rd? If he isn't small, nor very dark, and if

ow, I don't believe she meant yo

ah-wh

t know how. THAT much I'll bet on. There, there, don't let's talk no more about it

had not been as productive of good results as he had hoped. Certainly it had not in the least shaken the captain's firm belief in his spirit messages, nor had it, apparently, greatly abated his prejudice against young Howard. On the other ha

the great breakers raved and roared at the foot of the bluff-this was an experience for Galusha. The gray dawn of the morning brought another, for, although it was no longer snowing, the wind was, if anything, stronger than ever and the seaward view from his bedroom window was a picture of frothing gray and white, of flying spray and leaping waves, and on the landward side the pines were bending and threshing as if they were being torn in

med Galusha. "Dear me, what

st night," he observed. "Been breezin' on steady eve

ked at him wi

he repeated. "Is

hook h

es I've seen this one ain't nothin' but a tops'l breeze. Do yo

rom the kitchen with a can of

us," she said; "don

it worse than this

as that goes we had plenty of company, for there were nineteen chimneys down along the main road in Wellmouth. And trees-mercy! how the poor tr

ere," said Zach. "That's some h'ist for spray, hundred and odd

omfortable place, I h

u call comf'table. I was aboard the Hog

ar! Is it

it looked impossible that I'd ever be anywheres else.

e in from the kitchen, wa

ed up and down somethin' terrib

?" he repeated, after a moment's contemp

th waves a hundred foot high? What kind of talk's that, Zach Bl

an in which Martha had put the coffee, then

n' he let them chains out full length. The wind blowed so strong it lifted the lightship right out of the water up to the ends of them chains and kep

omer, do you

we was leakin' like a sieve; you see, while we was up there that no'thwester had blowed 'most all the copper off the ve

tion were written large and struggling for expression, turned his head in Mr. Bangs' direction, winked s

t blusterers, not nearly as savage when met squarely face to face. He learned to put on layer after layer of garments, topping off with oilskins, sou'wester and mittens, and tramp down to the village for the mail or to do the household errands. He was growing stronger all the time and if t

s, are you?" she exclaimed. "It's as c

th his cap visor and

appy, that's all. A smart walk will do me good. I am

ve much of this sort of weather in

that," he said; "but my-ah-physician told me that a change

u're bound to go, do keep walkin' fast. Don't forget that it's down to zero or thereabouts; don't forget

Miss Phipps. Really I shall

to answer him in a manner half joking and half serious. But this time she did not a

ess. Don't seem as if I could carry any more worri

d it and he looked at

hat you are worried, I mean. Is there anything I can

eming to be curious concerning her personal affairs, when she interrupted him. She was stan

ot along and have your walk, Mr. Bangs. And don't pay any attention to what I said. It was just silliness. I

ise entered his mind. Was it possible that he, his presence in her house, was the cause of her worry? He had been very insistent that she take him as boarder and lodger. The sum he paid each week was ridiculously small. Was it possible that, having consented to the agreement, she had found it a losing one and was too kind-hearted and conscientious to suggest a chan

m his walk he was in what might

son than Mr. Horatio Pulcifer. Raish and Galusha had not encountered each other for some time, weeks, in fact, and Mr. Bangs

ce of East Wellmouth's leading politician and dealer in real estate wore not a grin but a frown, and when he and Galusha came together at the gate he

cifer," said Galusha, end

Mr. Bangs' hand and pushing it somewhat vi

backing from the gateway in order to give Horatio egre

ng truculently upon the s

aturally, some

r pardon?" h

men hell? Hey?

rubbed h

sume in-ah-certain instances they-M

se than a hen, the heft of 'em ain't. Go into a deal with their eyes open and t

f course. Squeal-yes.

l you.... And now a lot of dum fools are g

zed after him, shook his head, and then moved slowly up the path to

sht he'd drop down dead and then freeze t

ha bl

he exclaimed. "Of wh

never did like him, and now if he'

king he

cryin' now, I'll bet you on it. And he's responsible.... Yes'm, I'm c

o Primmie Horatio Pulcifer was responsible for her tears. Galusha had never fancied Mr. Pulcifer, now he was conscious of a most extraordinary dislike for the man. He had never disliked any one so much in all his life, he was sure of that. Also he was

Captain Hallett in his hearing which were of themselves sufficient to warrant the surmise that her trouble was a financial one. He remembered them now, although at the time they had made little impression upon his mind. But Raish Pulcife

either came back. He could hear the murmur of voices in the kitchen, but, although he sat up until ten o'clock, neither Primmie nor her mistre

mmie!" he

th hands in fran

hear you. PLEASE don't let her hear you, Mr. Bangs. And PLEASE come ri

stairs, through sitting room and dining room to the kitchen. Then Primmie put down the lamp, which she ha

xclaimed Galusha. "Oh

aved her hands up and down and stood

ried Mr. Bangs. "Don't! Y

less. Galusha in desperat

lared. Primmie, the tears still pouring

I'll-I'll stop cryin'. I-I'm goin' to if you'll only wait an

b of her hand across her nose, stop she did. Bu

the matter?" d

e, gulped, and then blur

canned me

and complicated by a growing acquaintance with the new driver of the grocery cart, a young man of the world who had spent two hectic years in Brockton, w

?" he

Miss Martha has, I mea

you? Rea

t! Can't you see, I-Oh, please, Mr. Bangs, excuse me for talkin' so. I-I didn't

y, that's all. But what is this? Do I understand

don't know where to go and-and I don't want to go

ored with the usual amount of Primmieisms, it amounted to this: Martha had helped her with the supper dishes and then, instead of going into t

d for her to say as 'twould be for me to hear. And she said I could be sartin' sure she'd never say it if 'twan't absolutely necessary and that she hadn't made up her mind to say it until she'd laid

trol yourself, please. You p

oo, I tell you, afore she finished. If you'd seen the pair of us settin'

ng? Miss

t, but she wan't. She was just cryin' quiet, you know, but anybody could see how terrible

ed, in harass

dmitted, "But I-real

d more hard to get along. She said her income was very small and her bills continually growing larger. She had cut and scrimped in every possible way, hoping against hope, but at last

t let me do that. If she couldn't pay me I couldn't work here. I said I could and I should and she said I couldn't and shouldn't. And-and we both cried and-and that's the way it ended. And that's why I come to you, Mr. Bangs. I CAN'T go away and leave her. I CAN'T, Mr. Bangs. She can't keep this who

a Phipps' worry was plain enough now. And her financial stress must be very keen inde

won't you, Mr. Bangs?" p

keep you when she has made up her mind not to, I-really, I don't see. You don't think, do you," he added, "that my being here is in

s Martha say more'n a dozen times what a nice man you was and how easy 'twas to provide for you. She likes you, Miss Mart

is whole-hearted declaration. It was pleasant to learn that

lodging. I begged to be allowed to pay more, but Miss Phipps wouldn't permit it. Now I am sure she must be losing money in th

you was payin' too much. No, 'tain't that. It's more'n that. It ain't anything to do really with you or me, Mr. Bangs. Miss Martha's lost some money somehow, I bel

it his duty

that I am unduly curious concerning her personal affairs. If there is any trait which I-ah-detest above others it is that of unwarran

at seemed to be awe-stricken adm

said as many as seven words already that I never heard afore, never heard ary one of 'em, I ain't. Education's wonderful, ain't it? Pa used to say '

s, Primm

I will. I was goin' to say that I believe Miss Martha's lost money somehow and I believe that dre

mmie, why do you say th

is Pulcifer thing, don't she? Yes, she does. Went up twice inside of a fortni't that I know of. Does she go 'cause she likes him? I cal'late she don't. She likes him about the way I do and I ain't got no more use for him than a hen has for a toothbrush. And t'other day she sent for him and asked him to co

r. Pulcifer's visit may have no connecti

rd when he was here this afternoon? And why was she askin' him to plea

r for

low and more as if she was talkin' to herself than to him, 'What SHALL I do?' she says. And he heard her and says he-I'd like to have chopped his head off with the kindlin' hatchet when I heard him say it-says he, 'I don't know. How do you s'pose I know what you'll do? I don't

ence was still more convincing. He did not tell Primmie that he was convinced, however. He swore her to secrecy, made her promise that she would tell no

" he added, "I'm sure I can't

ttle encouragement in this, but Pr

gh the kind of times you have, livin' along with critters that steal the shirt off your back,

s smiled

n my back when it w

g got it onto HIS back first. But, anyhow, I feel better. I think now we're goin'

ould have gone far out of his way to help such a person, had the latter appealed to him. But Martha had not appealed to him; as a matter of fact, it was evident that she was trying to keep knowledge of her difficulty from him and every one else. Plainly it was not his business at all. An