essing a smile.

Seth was not aware that there was anything humorous in his statement.

"Yes," he said, "I was single and--and happy, by jiminy! I was skipper
of a mack'rel schooner down Cape Ann way, never mind where, and Seth
Atkins is only part of my name; never mind that, neither. I sailed that
schooner and I run that schooner--I RUN her; and when I said 'boo' all
hands aboard jumped, I tell you. When I've got salt water underneath me,
I'm a man. But I told you that afore.

"However, this is what I didn't tell you nor nobody else in this part of
the state: I stayed single till I got to be past forty. Everybody set me
down as an old bach. Then I met a woman; yes, sir, I met a woman."

He made this assertion as if it was something remarkable. His companion
on the bench made no comment.

"She was a widow woman," went on Seth, "and she had a little property
left her by her first husband. Owned a house and land, she did, and had
some money in the bank. Some folks cal'lated I married her for that, but
they cal'lated wrong. I wanted her for herself. And I got her. Her name
was Emeline. I always thought Emeline was a sort of pretty name."

He sighed. Brown observed that Emeline was a very pretty name, indeed.

"Um-hm. That's what I thought, and Emeline was a real pretty woman, for
her age and heft--she was fleshy. She had some consider'ble prejudice
against my goin' to sea, so I agreed to stay on shore a spell and farm
it, as you might say. We lived in the house she owned and was real happy
together. She bossed me around a good deal, but I didn't mind bein'
bossed by her. 'Twas a change, you see, for I'd always been used to
bossin' other folks. So I humored her. And, bein' on land made me lose
my--my grip or somethin'; 'cause I seemed to forget how to boss. But we
was happy, and then--then Bennie D. come. Consarn him!"

His teeth shut with a snap, and he struck his knee with his fist.
"Consarn him!" he repeated, and was silent.

The substitute assistant ventured to jog his memory.

"Who was Bennie D.?" he asked.

"What? Hey? Bennie D.? Oh, he was her brother-in-law, her husband's
brother from up Boston way. He was a genius--at least, he said he
was--and an inventor. The only invention I ever could l'arn he'd
invented to a finish was how to live without workin', but he'd got that
brought to a science. However, he was forever fussin' over some kind of
machine that was sartin sure to give power to the universe, when