Laughing Last

down to the Cape all by yourself! Now, ain't that

gg after purchasing her tickets. Her face perceptibly brightened. Others had talked to her during the long journey but they had had

led a very red face. From his booming voice she knew he must have commanded a ship; perhaps he knew Ezekiel Green

't goin' to Race P'int Light, by chance. You be careful that no pirates come 'long an

aren't really pirates-bu

e fo'castle-for'ard of the fo'mast. And don't you be too sure about the pirates-you ask Jed Starr

ure buried on the Ca

f it. And these here pirates I speak of bury their treasures somewheres-jest where's the business of Uncle Sam's men to find out." He struck his chest proudly

hin Davies of Wellfleet, retired, y

ailed a ship. Do you-d

e. But I reckon I know 'most everyone in

ed the Betsy King-"

up on stories about Zeke Green. My father overhauled the Betsy King f

mley of Middletown, going now to visit her Cousin Achs

t whether the baby lived or not. Don't pay much time to those things, don't have to for Elizy does it well enough for the two of us. Ain't anything on the Cape Elizy misses. Comes to me though that I heard her say something about that kid-sure does. I remember that benef

ey had had a benefit for his widow. Sidney did not know just what a benefit was but the sound of the word connected it in

ean that baby-how ol

"You're comin' down to this part of the country to visit what's left of your folks hereabouts and you don't know nothin' 'bout them? Seems to me some one ought 'a shipped with you. Now I wish 'twas Elizy and me you was comin' to visit. I sartin' do. Elizy likes little girls-we've often wished we had a boat's crew of 'em. What's the use I t

and white-and

ould smell the harbor. Got a lookout atop where you can see the boats when they sail round the Point." A faintly wistful note shaded the rugged voice. "You tell folk

t to Sidney the places and things of interest they were passing. Through his eyes Sidney saw the beauty of the old, elm-shaped villages, the rich meadow lands, the low-lying salt marshes, the sand-bars gleaming against

visit old Phin Davies. I'll tell Elizy. And

unday coat and vest and sprawled his great hulk in his own easy chair, "don't know as I've ever see

ou don't say! Why, all there is is old Achsa and that

r the assembled belongings in the old satchel, some things Isolde's and some Trude's and some even Vick's. The girls had been very kind and generous with her. But in spite of her valiant efforts her spirits sank lower and lower. She had come

at the low dunes of sand and marsh, shrouded in twilight haze, through which they now were passing were very dreary she held stubbornly to her speculations concerning the "baby." She was tired and hungry. The lump was gro

you my

that you'd just ride off into the ocean? You had a coolish day." As he talked he piloted her through the crowd, a crowd that startled Sidney after those miles of twilight loneliness. "It's always like this toward t

he sandy road Sidney turned searc

hat was born? You see, Cap

er. I just live with Aunt Achsa summers; w

that I have to put it all together, like a picture puzzle. And it will be nice having someon

he family and I hope you will, too, when you get that

e it so well until Captain Phin Davies made me see what was so nic

u see the back shore. Toby's taking a short-cut home. I expect he knows Aunt Achsa ha

on an eminence. She was scarcely conscious of anything they were passing. The dusk had deepened, enveloping them like a heavy veil. She heard her

carriage to the threshold. All about her she felt rather than saw crowding flowers. And in

to meet Sidney and touch

u, child. Annie's girl. Come in. Come right in. I expect you're tuc

stove, regarding her with shy dark eyes. And as quickly it dropped bef

ws he ain't talked of much else than a new cousin's comin' sence we got your letter. This is your room, Sidney, right he

le room that opened directly out of the parlor. Aunt Achsa,

inkled at her between starched muslin curtains, coarse but immaculate towels covered the washstand and the highboy that stood at each side of the window. Another white towel Achsa had tacked on the wall behi

g in one corner, that the hooked rug on the floor could have brought Achsa a hundred dollars any time she wanted to sell it; her eyes were too brimming with tears to notice the flowers that grew to her window-sill and peeped o

and make her go out into the kitchen and eat supper with them. They were going to eat in the kitchen. She had seen the table. And the boarder-nice people in Middletown did

ep down within her miles back on her long journey. Her teeth bit into her quivering lip. She went to the little

nyway-" She addressed a rose that was wagging its pink head at her in an understanding way and that certainly had not be