tatia; get your things off and come here---- Wait, Mrs.
Osgood; don't tell anymore till Kitty is here---- Sh-h-h-h; be careful
what you say before Grandma Plympton."

The newcomers, returning from the bedroom divested of their wraps,
began at once to relate their own experiences in geology, but they had
no more than stated the bare facts when they became aware that there
was a more absorbing topic in the air. Somebody had told Mrs. Osgood's
hired man, who had told his wife, who told Mrs. Osgood--but for that
matter there was no great secret about it.

"Have n't you heard a thing about it, Mrs. Plympton--re-e-eally?"

This was asked by one who had herself heard of it only a few minutes
before.

"Why, no; what is it?"

"You tell it, Mrs. Osgood. You can tell it best."

Then followed the story. In the course of its travels it had not
suffered any loss of detail; it had rather prospered. Each person to
whom it had been intrusted had sent it on its way richer and better; it
became longer and truer. And so Mrs. Osgood told it, ably assisted by
those who had just heard it and kept seeing new phases of it. Finally
the case was rested.

"What do you think of it, Mrs. Plympton? You live nearest to him."

"I must say that I am surprised. But then, I don't know whether a
person ought to be surprised at anything like that."

"And to think of it!" said Mrs. Dix. "Away out there where nobody is
likely to come along once in two weeks. What an idea!"

"Well," remarked Mrs. Harmon, who had been taking time, and might
therefore be supposed to have given the matter her weightier
consideration, "it is, in fact, just what one might expect. He has
always been so steady and sober-minded. It is n't as if he had had a
greater variety of interests and more social inclination and--wilder,
you know. He was entirely devoted to his mother; and he has n't the
resources and flexibility to make so complete a change easily, and
naturally."

"He has been acting quite strangely since his mother died,"
interpolated Mrs. Dix. "He cooks and eats and sleeps out on that
kitchen porch, and does n't seem to take any pleasure in being invited
out, or spending an evening at other people's houses."

"That's it," said Mrs. Harmon. "In his position, and especially his
_dis_position, a man is just ripe for the first adventuress that comes
along. In considering such things we ought to make allowances."

"I suppose so," remarked Mrs. Nor