pappy." And he went off to
seek the bow and arrow given him by an Indian who lingered in the
region once occupied by his tribe.

"Never mind," said the wife, stroking her husband's arm, "you are
getting rich now, and your hard times are over."

"Yes, but everybody will always remember that I was a bought
redemptioner, and your folks will hardly ever forgive you for marrying
me."

"Oh, yes, they will some day. If you keep on as lucky as you are, I
shall live in a bigger house than any of them, and drive to church
behind six horses. That'll make a great difference. If the Nancy Jane
fetches me a London bonnet and a wide, wide petticoat such as the
Princess Augusta wears, so that I can brush against the pews on both
sides with my silk frock when I go down the aisle, my folks will
already begin to think that Sanford Browne is somebody," and she made
little motions of vanity as she fancied her entrance into Duck Creek
parish church on the Sunday after the arrival of the tobacco ship,
arrayed in imitation of the Princess of Wales, the news of whose recent
widowhood had not yet reached Judy Browne.

"There comes the Nancy Jane now," called the boy from the dooryard,
pointing to a sloop on the other side of the wide estuary, bowling in
with topsail and jib furled, and her rusty mainsail bellying under
pressure of a wind dead aft.

"That's not the Nancy Jane," said the father; "only a sloop. But I
don't know whose. Oh, yes; it must be that Yankee peddler back again.
There's his codfish ensign at his masthead. He's making for the other
side now, but he'll come over here to sell his rum and kickshaws before
he goes out."

"Hello, Mr. Browne!" It was a voice coming from the river in front of
the house. The owner of the voice was concealed by some bushes at the
margin of the water.

"Hello!" answered Browne to the invisible caller. "Is that you, Mr.
Wickford?"

"I've got some letters for you, Mr. Browne," came back from the water.
"The Nancy Jane ran in on the east wind this morning before daylight,
and anchored in the little oyster bay below Manley's. She brings news
that the Prince of Wales died last Spring. I happened to come past
there this morning, and I brought some things Captain Jackson had for
you. I reckon there's something pretty here for Mrs. Browne, too. Send
one of your boys down."

"I'll come myself," said Browne, going down the bank, followed eagerly
by the little Sanford, who had also his interest in th