very morning: to get his hair cut
at least once in six weeks: not to eat pie just before going to bed,
"because you know if you do, you always have the nightmare and groan
and moan and wake up everyone but yourself": not to say "Jumpin'" or
"Creepin' Judas" any oftener than he could help: to be sure and not
cut prices in the store just because a customer asked him to do so--and
goodness knows how much more.

As for Isaiah Chase, his list was so lengthy and varied that the
responsibility quite overwhelmed him.

"Gosh t'mighty!" exclaimed Isaiah, desperately. "I'll never be able to
live up to all them sailin' orders and I know it. I've put some of 'em
down on a piece of paper, but I ain't even got them straight, and as for
the million or two others--whew! I'm to dust every day, and sweep every
other day, and change the tablecloth, and see that the washin' goes when
it ought to, and feed the horse the cat--no, no, feed the cat oats--Oh,
consarn it! Feed the cat and the horse and the hens their reg'lar
vittles at reg'lar times and--and--Oh, my soul! Yes, and let alone my
own self and all that's laid onto me, I must keep an eye on Captain Shad
and Zoeth and see that they do what's been laid onto THEM. I swan to
man! I'm a hard-workin', painstakin' feller of my age, but I ain't as
young as I used to be, and I'm human and not a walkin' steam-engyne.
I'll do the best I can, but--but first thing you know I'll be drove into
heavin' up my job. THEN this craft'll be on its beam ends, I bet you!
They'll appreciate me then, when it's too late."

The farewells at the railway station were brief. They were very hard to
say and neither the partners nor Mary-'Gusta could trust themselves to
talk more than was necessary. The train drew up beside the platform;
then it moved on. A hand waved from the car window; Shadrach and Zoeth
waved in return. The rear car disappeared around the curve by Solomon
Higgins' cranberry shanty.

Mr. Hamilton sighed heavily.

"She's gone, Shadrach," he said. "Mary-'Gusta's gone."

Shadrach echoed the sigh.

"Yes, she's gone," he agreed. "I feel as if the best part of you and me
had gone along with her. Well, t'other parts have got to go back to the
store and wait on customers, I presume likely. Heave ahead and let's do
it. Ah, hum! I cal'late we'd ought to be thankful we've got work to do,
Zoeth. It'll help take up our minds. There are goin' to be lonesome days
for you and me, shipmate."

There were l