Page:Silver Shoal Light.djvu/29

Rh the Cap'n. "The hotel's full up, an' she ain't got nowhars to sleep. I thought mebbe you an' your mother'd let her hev your spare-room."

"Oh, my!" cried Miss Bassett. "I'm just real vexed that we can't! You know we would if we could, 'Bijah. But my cousin Ben—you know, 'Bijah, he ain't been here for five years—him an' his folks come unexpected to-day. They got a machine now, an' they come all the ways from Milltown. We got to let one of his boys sleep on the sofy in the parlor, as 't is. An' would you believe it, 'Bijah, I sent for a mess of spinidge from Schmidt, an' more 'n the half of it wa'n't no good. Seems to me he ain't near 's uppin' as he used to be. He's one of them dretful Germans, anyways, an' I never did—"

"Wal, thank you kindly," said Captain Dawson. "Guess we'll be goin' along. Tell my regards to Ben."

"I'm real sorry," said Miss Bassett, and the door closed, shutting in with it the savoury smell of roasting chicken and frying potatoes.

"Wal, Miss Kirkman," said the Cap'n, "I allus say, 'While thar's life thar's hope still.' We ain't tried Mis' Fisher yet. I'm gettin'