aul. Both of 'em short and sensible, no
frills to 'em. Of the two I figgered maybe Paul would fit me best. Paul,
he was shipwrecked one time, you remember, and I've been wrecked no
less'n three.... Paul.... Um-hm.... Say, Mr. Bangs, have you ever tried
to fit yourself with a Bible name?"

Galusha smiled and said he never had. Primmie, who had been silent for
almost three minutes, could remain so no longer.

"I think Solomon would be the right name for you, Mr. Bangs," she cried,
enthusiastically. "You know such a terrible lot--about some kinds of
things." This last a hasty addition.

Zach snorted. "Solomon!" he repeated. "Dan Beebe--Ras Beebe's cousin
over to Trumet--named his boy Solomon, and last week they took the
young-one up to the State home for feeble-minded. What name would you
pick out of the Bible for yourself, Mr. Bangs?"

It was then that Galusha made the reply to which reference has been
made. His smile changed and became what Primmie described as "one of his
one-sided ones."

"Ah--um--well--Ananias, perhaps," he said, and walked away.

Zach and Miss Cash stared after him. Of course, it was the latter who
spoke first.

"Ananias!" she repeated. "Why, Ananias was the feller that--that lied so
and was struck down dead. I remember him in Sunday school. Him and his
wife Sophrony. Seems to me 'twas Sophrony; it might have been Maria,
though. But, anyhow, they died lyin'."

"That so? I thought they lied dyin'."

"Oh, be still! But what did Mr. Bangs pick out THAT name for--of all
names? Can you tell me that?"

Zacheus could not, of course, nor did he attempt it. Instead, he rose
and gazed sadly at his companion.

"He said it for a joke, Buttercups," he observed. "Joke. YOU know, a
joke. One of them things that--I tell you what: You look up 'joke' in
the dictionary and then, after you've found out what 'tis, I'll lend you
a patent-medicine almanac with one or two of 'em in it.... Well, I've
got to be gettin' under way. So long, Posy."

Possibly Primmie might have inquired further into the reasons which
led the Phipps' lodger to select for himself the name of the person
who "died lying," but that very afternoon, while on an errand in the
village, she heard the news that Nelson Howard had been offered a
position as operator at the Trumet wireless station, had accepted
and was already there and at work. Every professional gossip in East
Wellmouth was talking about it, not only because of its interest as