, "I have sometimes had an idea that the main thing they don't like
is, to see you saving every cent to pay to Eliphalet."

"And yet it was on your say that I took up that plan," said Eph. "I
never thought of it till you asked me when I was going to begin to pay
him up."

"And you ought to," said Susan. "He has a right to the money--and then,
you don't want to be under obligations to that man all your life. Now,
what you want to do is to cheer up and go around among folks. Why, now
you 're the only fish-buyer there is that the men don't watch when he 's
weighing their fish. You'll own up to that, for one thing, won't you?"

"Well, they are good fellows that bring fish to me," he said.

"They were n't good fellows when they traded at the great wharf," said
Susan. "They had a quarrel down there once a week, regularly."

"Well, suppose they do trust me in that," said Eph. "I can never rub out
that I 've been in State's-prison."

"You don't want to rub it out. You can't rub anything out that's ever
been; but you can do better than rub it out."

"What do you mean?"

"Take things just the way they are," said Susan, "and show what can be
done. Perhaps you 'll stake a new channel out for others to follow in,
that haven't half so much chance as you have. And that's what you will
do, too," she added.

"Susan!" he said, "if there 's anything I can ever do, in this world or
the next, for you or your folks, that's all I ask for,--the chance to do
it. Your folks and you shall never want for anything while I'm alive.

"There's one thing sure," he added, rising. "I'll live by myself and be
independent of everybody, and make my way all alone in the world; and
if I can make 'em all finally own up and admit that I'm honest with 'em,
I'm satisfied. That's all I 'll ever ask of anybody. But there's one
thing that worries me sometimes,--that is, whether I ought to come here
so often. I 'm afraid, sometimes, that it 'll hinder your father from
gettin' work, or--something--for you folks to be friends with me."

"I think such things take care of themselves," said Susan, quietly. "If
a chip won't float, let it sink."

"Good-night," said Eph; and he walked off, and went home to his echoing
house.

After that, his visits to Joshua's became less frequent.

*****

It was a bright day in March,--one of those which almost redeem the
reputation of that desperado of a month. Eph was leaning on his fence,
looking now down the bay and no