you call a business woman. She' always up to
somethin' to make a dollar, and she's as slick a talker as ever was,
I guess. She never give Perez no rest till he signed the deed for them
books. Told him they'd give liter'ry tone to the shebang. Perez started
to read 'em out loud when they fust come, but he had to stop so often to
spell out the furrin names that me and Jerry used to go to sleep. That
made him mad, and he said, liter'ry tone be durned; he wa'n't goin' to
waste his breath readin' us to sleep; so they've been on the shelf ever
sence."

Ralph laughed. "So you have book agents, too?" he said.

"Well, we've got 'Gusty," was the reply, "and she's enough to keep us
goin'. Gits round reg'lar as clockwork once a month to collect the two
dollars from Perez. It's her day now, and I told Perez that that was
why he sneaked off to Barry's. You see, 'Gusty's after him to buy the
history of Methuselah, or some old critter, and he don't like to
see her. She's after me, too, but I'm 'fraid she don't git much
encouragement."

After they had talked a little longer, the Captain seemed to remember
something, for he glanced at his watch and said, "Mr. Hazeltine, I
wonder if I could git you to do me a favor. I really ought to go down
and see to my shanty. Ain't been there sence day afore yesterday,
and there's so many boys 'round, I'm 'fraid to leave it unlocked much
longer. I thought some of the folks would be back 'fore this, but if you
could stay here long enough for me to run down there a minute or two,
I'd be ever so much obliged. I'll step up and see how John is."

He went upstairs and returned to report that the patient was quiet and
seemed to be asleep.

"If you hear him groan, or anything," he said, "jest come to the door
and whistle. Whistle anyway, if you want me. Ain't nobody likely to
come, 'less it's 'Gusty or the Reverend Perley come to ask 'bout John.
If it's a middlin' good-lookin' young woman with a satchel, that's
'Gusty. Don't whistle; tell her I'm out. I'll be back in a jiffy, but
you needn't tell either of them so unless your conscience hurts you TOO
much."

After the Captain had gone Ralph took down a volume of the "Great
Commanders" and sat down in a chair by the table to look it over. He
was smiling over the gaudy illustrations and flamboyant descriptions
of battles, when there was a step on the walk outside and knock at the
door. "Which is it," he thought, "'Gusty or the Reverend?"

Obviously it