of having contracted the disease and insisted that he needed
no companion, Ebenezer departed to take up his fishing once more. The
old man was provided with a new suit of clothes, those he had worn being
burned, and having been, to his huge disgust, fumigated until, as he
said, he couldn't smell himself without thinking of a match box, went
away. The room which the dead sailor had occupied was emptied and sealed
tight. The San Jose was to stay at her anchorage a while longer. Then,
when all danger was past, she was to be towed to Boston and sold at
auction for the benefit of the heirs of her dead skipper and owner.

Ellery himself was most urgent in the decision that he should not go
back to the parsonage and his church just yet. Better to wait until he
was sure, he said, and Dr. Parker agreed. "I'd be willing to bet that
you are all right," declared the latter, "but I know Trumet, and if I
SHOULD let you go and you did develop even the tail end of a case of
varioloid--well, 'twould be the everlasting climax for you and me in
this county."

Staying alone was not unpleasant, in a way. The "dead line" still
remained, of course, and callers did not attempt to pass it, but they
came more frequently and held lengthy conversations at a respectful
distance. Ellery did his own cooking, what little there was to do, but
so many good things were pushed under the ropes that he was in a fair
way to develop weight and indigestion. Captain Zeb Mayo drove down at
least twice a week and usually brought Mrs. Coffin with him. From them
and from the doctor the prisoner learned the village news. Once Captain
Elkanah and Annabel came, and the young lady's gushing praise of the
minister's "heroism" made its recipient almost sorry he had ever heard
of the San Jose.

Dr. Parker told him of Grace Van Horne's return to the village. She had
come back, so the doctor said, the day before, and was to live at the
tavern for a while, at least. Yes, he guessed even she had given up hope
of Captain Nat now.

"And say," went on Parker, "how are you feeling?"

"Pretty well, thank you," replied the minister. "I seem to be rather
tired and good for nothing. More so than I was during the worst of it."

"No wonder. A chap can't go through what you did and not feel some
reaction. I expected that. Don't get cold, that's all. But what I want
to know is whether you think I could leave you for a couple of days?
The Ostable County Medical Society meets at Hya