“There's Matildy Tripp,” said Bailey. “She'd like the job, I'm sartin. She's a widow, too, and she's had experience keepin' house along of Tobias, him that was her husband. But, if you do hire her, don't let Ketury know I hinted at it, 'cause we're goin' to lose one boarder when you quit, and that's too many, 'cordin' to the old lady's way of thinkin'.” “You can keep Matildy, for all me,” replied the captain decidedly. “Come-Outer religion's all right, for those that have that kind of appetite, but havin' it passed to me three times a day, same as I've had it at your house, is enough; I don't hanker to have it warmed over between meals. If I shipped Matildy aboard here she and the Reverend Daniels would stand over me, watch and watch, till I was converted or crazy, one or the other.” “Well, there's Angie. She--” “Angie!” sniffed Mr. Tidditt. “Stop your jokin', Bailey. This is a serious matter.” “I wan't jokin'. What--” “There! there! boys,” interrupted the captain; “don't fight. Bailey didn't mean to joke, Ase; he's full of what the papers call 'unconscious humor.' I'll give in that Angie is about as serious a matter as I can think of without settin' down to rest. Humph! so fur we haven't gained any knots to speak of. Any more candidates on your mind?” More possibilities were mentioned, but none of them seemed to fill the bill. The conference broke up without arriving at a decision. Mr. Bangs and the town clerk walked down the hill together. “Do you know, Bailey,” said Asaph, “the way I look at it, this pickin' out a housekeeper for Whit ain't any common job. It's somethin' to think over. Cy's a restless critter; been cruisin' hither and yon all his life. I'm sort of scared that he'll get tired of Bayport and quit if things here don't go to suit him. Now if a real good nice woman--a nice LOOKIN' woman, say--was to keep house for him it--it--” “Well?” “Well, I mean--that is, don't you s'pose if some such woman as that was to be found for the job he might in time come to like her and--and--er--” “Ase Tidditt, what are you drivin' at?” “Why, I mean he might come to marry her; there! Then he'd be contented to settle down to home and stay put. What do you think of the idea?” “Think of it? I think it's the dumdest foolishness ever I heard. I declare if the very mention of a woman to some of you old baches don't make your heads soften up like a jellyfish in the sun! Ain't Cy Whittaker got money? Ain't he got a nice home? Ain't he happy?” “Yes, he is now, I s'pose, but--” “WELL, then! And you want him to get married! What do you know about marryin'? Never tried it, have you?” “Course I ain't! You know I ain't.” “All right. Then I'd keep quiet about such things, if I was you.” “You needn't fly up like a settin' hen. Everybody's wife ain't--” He stopped in the middle of the sentence. “What's that?” demanded his companion, sharply.