I must buy new curtains for the dinin' room. I was thinkin'
about it all this forenoon. And when YOU began to talk about shades and
sticks, I--Mercy me! I am funny, I declare!"

She laughed again and Lulie and Galusha joined her. They were still
laughing when the dining room door opened. Mr. Bloomer's substantial if
not elegant form appeared.

"Ain't buttin' in, be I?" inquired Zach. "I knew you was over here,
Lulie, so I stopped to tell you the news. It's all settled."

"Settled?" Lulie and Martha repeated the word together. Zach nodded,
portentously.

"Um-hm," he declared. "Settled's the word. The whistle's piped to
quarters. All hands, alow and aloft, are ordered to report on board the
good ship Gould's Bluffs Lighthouse, Cap'n Jethro Hallet commandin',
on Friday next, the--er--I-forget-what of this month, at seven bells in
the--"

"Zach! Zach!" broke in Lulie. "Stop it! What are you talking about?"

"Talkin' about what I'm tryin' to tell you," said Zacheus, who seemed,
for him, a good deal disturbed. "All able believers, fo'mast hands,
and roustabouts and all full-rated ghosts, spooks, sperits and Chinee
controls are ordered to get together in the parlor next Saturday night
and turn loose and raise-whatever 'tis they raise. Signed, Marietta
Hoag, Admiral, and Cap'n Jethro Hallett, Skipper. There, by Godfreys!
Now if you don't know 'tain't my fault, is it? Yes, sir, there's goin'
to be another one of them fool sea-ants, or whatever 'tis they call 'em,
over to the house next Friday night. And I think it's a darn shame,
if you want to know what _I_ think. And just as you and me, Lulie, was
hopin' the old man was gettin' so he'd forgot Marietta and all her crew.
A healthy note, by Godfreys, ain't it now!"

"A healthy note," or words to that effect, was exactly what it was;
Martha and Lulie were in thorough accord with Zach as to that. Galusha
did not say very much. He rubbed his chin a good deal and when, after
Bloomer had departed, Lulie came close to breaking down and crying, he
still was silent, although nervous and evidently much disturbed. Lulie
bravely conquered her emotion.

"Please don't mind me," she begged. "It's awfully silly of me, I know.
But, you see, Nelson and I had really begun to think that perhaps father
had broken away from--from all that. For a time he was--oh, different.
Nelson told you that he bowed to him once and I told you how--But what
is the use? Here he goes again. And now goodness