es."

"Oh, yes, yes; I see. Well, 'twon't take her long. If I went up I'd
only hold her back, and I want my supper. Let's have a smoke, Dan, while
we're waitin'."

He patted one pocket after the other and finally located a chunky,
battered pipe, which he proceeded to fill with shavings from a black
plug. Daniel watched him. A new idea was dawning in his mind, an idea
which seemed to afford him some pleasurable anticipation. Mr. Ginn
looked up from his tobacco shaving.

"Now, tell me about all this money of yours," he commanded. "I didn't
hear nothin' else at Trumet; that and your wife's gettin' to be
commodore of some woman's lodge or other was all they talked about.
Hey? Why, where's your pipe? Ain't you goin' to smoke? I've got plenty
terbacker."

Daniel looked dubious. "I guess not, Labe," he said. "Zuba--well, the
fact is, Zuba doesn't like people to smoke in her kitchen."

Laban's face expressed astonishment. "She don't!" he cried. "She don't?
How long since?"

"Oh, almost ever since she came here. It is one of her new ways."

"'Tis, hey? Well, I like the old ones better, myself. Never you mind her
ways; trot out your pipe and light up. I--"

He was interrupted by his companion, who made a flying jump toward the
stove. The teakettle was boiling over.

"Let it bile," commented Mr. Ginn. "'Tain't your funeral, is it? You
ain't supposed to boss the galley. That's the cook's business, not the
skipper's."

But Daniel carefully removed the kettle to a place of safety.

"It's my business to-night," he said. "I'm gettin' my own supper."

Mr. Ginn straightened in his chair. "You be?" he exclaimed. "You BE?
What for? Ain't there no women folks in the house? Ain't Zuby--why, you
said--"

"I know I said, but what I say don't seem to amount to much. You see,
Labe, your wife has got some of what MY wife calls advanced ideas.
She belongs to some kind of a lodge herself, and this is their meetin'
night. Just before you came Zuba made proclamations that I could cook
my own supper. She said she couldn't stop to do it; she'd be late to the
meetin' if she did."

Laban's mouth opened. The pipe fell from it, scattering sparks like a
Roman candle, and bounced upon the spotless floor of the kitchen. Daniel
would have picked it up, but his visitor intervened. He put one mammoth
foot upon the sparks and, leaning forward, demanded instant attention.

"For thunder sakes, Dan Dott!" he cried. "Never mind that pipe; let it
a