“Oh, that was just his way of speaking, Mr. Bangs. I tried to change the subject. I asked him if he didn't think we should report the engine trouble to the inspector when he came next month. It was a mistake, my saying that. He got up from his chair. 'I'm going to report,' he said. 'I'm going to make my report aloft and ask for guidance. The foghorn ain't the only thing that's runnin' wild. My own flesh and blood defies me.'” Martha interrupted. “You hear that, Mr. Bangs?” she said. “And we were all hopin' THAT snarl was straightenin' itself out.” Galusha looked very uneasy. “Dear me,” he said. “Really, now. Oh, dear!” “Well,” continued Lulie, “that was enough, of course. And the next day, last Thursday, Zacheus said Ras Beebe told him that Ophelia--that's his sister, you know--told him that Abel Harding told her that his wife said that Marietta Hoag told HER--I HOPE I've got all the 'hims' and 'hers' straight--that Cap'n Jeth Hallett was going to have another seance down at the light pretty soon. Marietta said that father felt he needed help from 'over the river'.... What is it, Mr. Bangs?” “Oh, nothing, nothing. For a moment I did not get the--ah--allusion, the 'over the river,' you know. I comprehend now, the--ah--Styx; yes.” But now Martha looked puzzled. “Sticks!” she repeated. “Lulie didn't say anything about sticks. Neither did Cap'n Jethro. Spirits he was talkin' about.” “Yes, I know. Certainly, quite so. The shades beyond the Styx.” “SHADES? STICKS! For mercy's sakes, Mr. Bangs--!” Lulie laughed aloud. “He means the River Styx, Martha,” she explained. “Don't you know? The river of the dead, that the ancients believed in, where Charon rowed the ferry.” And now Martha laughed. “My goodness gracious me!” she cried. “Yes, yes, of course. I've read about it, but it was a long while ago. Mr. Bangs, I'm dreadfully ignorant, I realize it about once every ten minutes when I'm with you. Perhaps I've got a little excuse this time. I've been figurin' I must buy new curtains for the dinin' room. I was thinkin' about it all this forenoon. And when YOU began to talk about shades and sticks, I--Mercy me! I am funny, I declare!” She laughed again and Lulie and Galusha joined her. They were still laughing when the dining room door opened. Mr. Bloomer's substantial if not elegant form appeared. “Ain't buttin' in, be I?” inquired Zach. “I knew you was over here, Lulie, so I stopped to tell you the news. It's all settled.” “Settled?” Lulie and Martha repeated the word together. Zach nodded, portentously. “Um-hm,” he declared. “Settled's the word. The whistle's piped to quarters. All hands, alow and aloft, are ordered to report on board the good ship Gould's Bluffs Lighthouse, Cap'n Jethro Hallet commandin', on Friday next, the--er--I-forget-what of this month, at seven bells in the--” “Zach! Zach!” broke in Lulie. “Stop it! What are you talking about?”