The storekeeper was getting in pretty deep, as he would have himself admitted; but he struggled on bravely, and everybody save the bewildered 'Liphalet understood. "We've got a man in our midst," went on Cap'n Abe, "who's proved himself for some years a brother and a friend to every man, woman and child up and down this Shell Road. There ain't a person in this here room to whom he ain't done some lastin' favor, and in some cases, many on 'em. "As this season of the year comes around--the most fittin' for us to show love and gratitude because of Him who gave so much for us," added Cap'n Abe reverently,--"it was suggested--I reckon it was a spontaneous feelin' in all our hearts--that we give this man who had given of his time and money and love to us, somethin' that should speak to him of our appreciation--somethin' that should tell him, whenever he would, in sorrow or in joy, how much we love him for what he is and for what he has been to us." The old storekeeper's voice was husky. He cleared it with a vociferous "Hum!" but could not go on. Therefore he stepped closer to the talking machine. There was already a disc in place, and touching the release-spring, this began to revolve. To the mellow accompaniment of an organ a male chorus began to croon, "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?" The women were wiping their eyes openly; the men looked straight ahead with set visages, as they did in church when the minister told a moving incident. "'Liphalet Truitt," rose the trumpet call of the storekeeper's voice above the melody of the old song, "your neighbors and well-wishers ask me to present this here machine to you as a mark of their esteem and love, as the feller said. And believe _me_," concluded Cap'n Abe, whacking the amazed recipient heartily on his shoulder, "I ain't been so willin' to do a job since Hector was a pup--an' Hector's a big dog now!" There rose a general--and welcome--laugh at Cap'n Abe's little joke. But there was no responsive smile upon 'Liphalet's visage. He stood there as amazed and stunned an individual as there was on all of storm-swept Cape Cod that night. "Hi-mighty!" exclaimed Cap'n Abe at last, "don't you like it?" "_Like it!_" The quotation was a vocal explosion. With it there overflowed from 'Liphalet's eyes the unbidden tears. The ice was broken in his soul, and the apostate Santa Claus stood confessed before his neighbors. "I ain't able to tell ye," he said humbly, "how what you all have done cuts me right down to the Plimsoll mark. I don't know but a little dip to starbo'd or to larbo'd will founder me for fair. I got it into my head that I--I was purty much alone in the world. I got a bitter taste against humanity in my mouth----" "That's your liver, 'Liphalet, like I told you," put in Doctor Ambrose, who had come in.