ident now, but she declared she would resign
in a minute in my favor."

For an instant Captain Dan's exuberant spirits were dashed.

"She did!" he cried. "Well, if that woman ain't.... Humph! Are you
thinkin' of lettin' her resign, Serena?"

"No."

"I--I wouldn't stand in your way if you did, you know. I mustn't be
selfish. Trumet ain't Scarford, and if you want to--"

"I don't, I don't. I may attend a meeting once in a while, later on,
but I never shall hold office again. I have had all the 'advancement' I
want."

"Advancin' backwards, some folks would call what you're doin' now,
Serena, I cal'late. There! I've said 'cal'late' again. I haven't said it
before for a long time. This Cape sand has got into my grammar, I guess.
I must be careful."

"You needn't be. Say 'cal'late' if you want to, I am not going to fret
you about your grammar any more, Daniel. I've got over that, too. I'd
rather have you, just as you are, than any other man in the world,
grammar or no grammar."

"Whew! Hold on, old lady! If you talk that way I'll get so puffed up
I'll bust into smoke when you touch me, like a dry toadstool. I--Hello!
what was that? The train whistle, was it?"

"Yes. Here is the night train in; it is almost mail time, and no dinner
yet. What IS the matter with Azuba? I'll speak to her."

She was rising to go to the dining-room, but her husband detained her.

"No, you wait; no, you mustn't," he said, hastily. "Sit right down,
Serena. Speakin' of dinners, this talk of ours is like that everlastin'
long meal that you and I went to at Barney Black's house just after we
landed in Scarford. You remember it took half an hour to get to anything
solid in that dinner, don't you? Yes, well, I'm just gettin' to the meat
of my talk. And I want Gertie to come in on that course. She is on her
way downstairs now; I hear her. Hi! Gertie! come in here, won't you!"

Gertrude entered the room.

"Where are you, Daddy?" she asked.

"Here I am, over here by the window."

"But why haven't you lighted the lamp? Why are you sitting here in the
dark?"

Serena answered. "Goodness knows," she replied. "Your father would
insist on it. I think he is going crazy; he has acted that way ever
since lunch."

The demented one chuckled.

"You see, Gertie," he explained, "'twas on account of my bashfulness.
Your mother, she wanted to sit along with me and hold hands, so--. Oh,
all right; all right. You can show a glim now, Serena, if you wan