t"--she hesitated--"doctor, you leave this to me. So
far as John and Grace are concerned you needn't worry. I'll take it on
myself to see that they have each other, as the Almighty meant 'em to.
Leave it to me. Just leave it to me. I KNOW I can do it."

She would not say more, nor tell on what grounds she based her optimism.
She would go back to the shanty that evening, she said, and stay until
the following afternoon. Grace would undoubtedly go to the old tavern to
prepare for the homecoming. Let Mrs. Higgins take her place as nurse.

"I shall have to leave, myself," she added, "for a little while; so
perhaps you'd better try to get somebody else to help the Higgins woman.
Don't ask me any questions, please don't, and be sure not to say a word
to anybody--most of all to Grace. Just do as I tell you and leave it to
me. And don't come and see me again until after--after he comes home.
Good-by, doctor. Good-by, Cap'n Zeb."

She shook hands with each of them, a rather unusual proceeding as they
thought of it afterwards. Then they went away and left her.

"Humph!" mused Parker, as they came out at the gate. "Humph! She seems
sure, doesn't she. And yet she doesn't act like herself. Did you notice
that?"

"Yup. I noticed it. But I expect Nat's droppin' out of the clouds shook
her up, same as it done the rest of us. Well, never mind. She's a bully
good, capable woman and what she says she'll do she gen'rally does. I'm
bettin' on her. By time! I feel better."

Captain Elkanah Daniels and his friends were feeling better also, and
they were busy. Trumet had a new hero now. On Wednesday the Boston
papers printed excerpts from Captain Hammond's story, and these brief
preliminary accounts aroused the admiration of every citizen. It was
proposed to give him a reception. Elkanah was the moving spirit in the
preparations. Captain Nat, so they learned by telegraphing, would arrive
on the noon train Thursday. His was not to be a prosaic progress by
stage all the way from Sandwich. A special carriage, drawn by the
Daniels span and escorted by other vehicles, was to meet the coach at
Bayport and bring him to Trumet in triumphant procession. All this was
to be a surprise, of course.

Wednesday afternoon the Daniels following was cheered by the tidings
that Grace Van Horne had left the beach and was at her old home, the
Hammond tavern. And Mrs. Poundberry reported her busy as a bee "gettin'
things ready." This was encouraging and indi