ath, ye know. I wish 't this critter that's visitin' up to
Garrison's Neck could be got sot a spall. She fa'rly w'ars me out."

Captain Leezur blinked at the sun, however, all heavenly placid and
unworn.

"I happened to meet her in the lane," I said. "She had not seen me
before. She screamed."

"Thar'! that 's jest her! Wal, neow, I hope ye didn't mind. Sech
folks don't do no harm 'reound on the 'arth, no more'n lady-bugs, 'nd
r'a'ly, they dew help to parss away the time.

"Neow this Langham girl, she driv up here with Note t'other day, to git
some lobsters.

"'O Mr. Garrison,' says she, 'see that darlin' old aberiginile
a-settin' out thar' on that log,' says she. 'Dew drive up; I want ter
talk to him,' says she.

"Wal, I put in a chaw o' tobackker, and tucked her up comf'table one
side, and there I sot, with my head straight for'ards, not lettin' on
as I'd heered a word; t'wouldn't dew, ye know.

"So she came up with a yaller lace parasol, abeout twelve foot in
c'cumf'rence, sorter makin' me think of a tud under a harrer; though, I
sh'd have to say it afore the meetin'-house, she was dreadful
purty-lookin', an' blamed ef she didn't know it.

"Wal, I see she'd made up her mind to kile herself 'reound me, ef she
could. She kept a-arskin' questions, and everything she arsked I
arnswered of her back dreadful moderate, and every time I arnswered of
her back she'd give a little larff, endin' up on 'sol la ce do,' sorter
highsteriky; so't I was kind o' feelin' areound in my pocket t' find
her a narvine lozenger.

"And then I thought I wouldn't. All they want is the least little
excuse and they'll begin to kile. When ye're in deoubt, ye know, stand
well to leeward."

I looked at my friend with new gratitude, for the perils he had passed.

"She said she thought the folks to the Basin was so full of yewmer and
pathers, 'don't yew?' says she.

"Wal, I told her I didn't know ars to that. 'Yewmer 's that 'ar'
'diction 't Job had, ain't it?' says I,' and pathers--thar' ye've kind
o' got me,' says I, ''less maybe it 's some fancy New York way o'
reelin' off pertaters,' says I.

"'Oh, dear!' says she, kind o' highsteriky ag'in, and Note driv off
with her, she a-wavin' her hand to me: but I set straight for'ards, not
lettin' on to take no notice of her. 'No, no, young woman,' thinks I
to myself, 'ye don't git in no kile on me!'"

The nervine lozenge which my friend had cautiously refrained from
giving Mis