' though! Cal'late the sperits 'll have
busy times this evenin', don't you, Miss Martha?" A few minutes later
she proclaimed that Cap'n Jeth had just climbed aboard and that the
autos were coming back.

"See! See, Mr. Bangs!" she cried, pointing. "There's Cap'n Jeth, settin'
between Marietta and 'Phelia Beebe. There's the three of 'em on the back
seat. Cap'n Jeth's the one with the whiskers."

At six o'clock Martha and her lodger walked over to the Hallett house.
Miss Phipps was dressed in her best gown and looked the personification
of trim, comfortable New England femininity. Galusha was garbed in the
suit he wore the evening of his arrival, but it had been newly sponged
and pressed.

"It looks lots better," observed Martha, inspecting him as they walked
along. "It wouldn't have, though, if Primmie had finished the job. I was
so busy that I let her start on it, but when I saw what a mess she was
makin' I had to drop everything else and do it myself."

Galusha looked puzzled.

"Yes?" he said, politely. "Oh, yes, yes. Yes, indeed."

She shook her head.

"I do believe you don't know what I'm talkin' about," she said. "Now, do
you?"

"Why--ah--why, Miss Phipps, I confess I--I--"

"Well, I declare! I never saw a person like you in my life. Didn't you
notice ANY difference in that suit of clothes?"

Mr. Bangs, looking downward, suddenly became aware of his immaculate
appearance. He was very much upset.

"I--I don't know what you must think of me," he stammered. "I have
been--that is, I was thinking of other things and I--Dear me! Oh, dear!
I am VERY grateful to you. But you shouldn't take so much trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble. The suit was hangin' in your closet and I
noticed how wrinkled and out of shape it was. And the stains on the
trousers--my!"

"Yes--ah--yes. I wore it over at the cemetery the other day and
I--ah--imagine I must have gotten down on my knees to examine the
tombstones."

"I guess likely. It looked as if you might have crawled from here to the
cemetery and back. Now don't say any more, Mr. Bangs. It was no trouble
at all. I always used to take care of father's clothes. He used to say I
kept him all taut and shipshape."

Lulie met them at the door.

"Where is Primmie?" she asked.

"She'll be over pretty soon," replied Martha. "I knew you wouldn't need
her yet to help with the supper and the longer she stays away the more
talk there will be for the rest of us. She is to eat in th