r husband," he added, as if
by way of an afterthought.

Anne smiled, and deduced a mental picture of Mrs. Dick Moore from
Captain Jim's way of putting it; evidently a second Mrs. Rachel Lynde.

"You haven't many neighbors, Mistress Blythe," Captain Jim went on.
"This side of the harbor is mighty thinly settled. Most of the land
belongs to Mr. Howard up yander past the Glen, and he rents it out for
pasture. The other side of the harbor, now, is thick with
folks--'specially MacAllisters. There's a whole colony of MacAllisters
you can't throw a stone but you hit one. I was talking to old Leon
Blacquiere the other day. He's been working on the harbor all summer.
'Dey're nearly all MacAllisters over thar,' he told me. 'Dare's Neil
MacAllister and Sandy MacAllister and William MacAllister and Alec
MacAllister and Angus MacAllister--and I believe dare's de Devil
MacAllister.'"

"There are nearly as many Elliotts and Crawfords," said Doctor Dave,
after the laughter had subsided. "You know, Gilbert, we folk on this
side of Four Winds have an old saying--'From the conceit of the
Elliotts, the pride of the MacAllisters, and the vainglory of the
Crawfords, good Lord deliver us.'"

"There's a plenty of fine people among them, though," said Captain Jim.
"I sailed with William Crawford for many a year, and for courage and
endurance and truth that man hadn't an equal. They've got brains over
on that side of Four Winds. Mebbe that's why this side is sorter
inclined to pick on 'em. Strange, ain't it, how folks seem to resent
anyone being born a mite cleverer than they be."

Doctor Dave, who had a forty years' feud with the over-harbor people,
laughed and subsided.

"Who lives in that brilliant emerald house about half a mile up the
road?" asked Gilbert.

Captain Jim smiled delightedly.

"Miss Cornelia Bryant. She'll likely be over to see you soon, seeing
you're Presbyterians. If you were Methodists she wouldn't come at all.
Cornelia has a holy horror of Methodists."

"She's quite a character," chuckled Doctor Dave. "A most inveterate
man-hater!"

"Sour grapes?" queried Gilbert, laughing.

"No, 'tisn't sour grapes," answered Captain Jim seriously. "Cornelia
could have had her pick when she was young. Even yet she's only to say
the word to see the old widowers jump. She jest seems to have been
born with a sort of chronic spite agin men and Methodists. She's got
the bitterest tongue and the kindest heart in F