Mrs. Caplin looked bewildered and blank. “Well, all I know is, last year he worked out some kind of a plan so’s to parade the county conference in platoons, and got ’em all flustered up tryin’ to sense his ideas of a holler square,” she burst forth. “They was holler enough anyway after ridin’ ’way down from up country into the salt air, and they’d been treated to a sermon on faith an’ works from old Fayther Harlow that never knows when to cease. ’Twa’n’t no time for tactics then,—they wa’n’t a-thinkin’ of the church military. Sant, he couldn’t do nothin’ with ’em. All he thinks of, when he sees a crowd, is how to march ’em. ’Tis all very well when he don’t ’tempt too much. He never did act like other folks.” “Ain’t I just been maintainin’ that he ain’t like ’em?” urged Mrs. Todd decidedly. “Strange folks has got to have strange ways, for what I see.” “Somebody observed once that you could pick out the likeness of ’most every sort of a foreigner when you looked about you in our parish,” said Sister Caplin, her face brightening with sudden illumination. “I didn’t see the bearin’ of it then quite so plain. I always did think Mari’ Harris resembled a Chinee.” “Mari’ Harris was pretty as a child, I remember,” said the pleasant voice of Mrs. Blackett, who, after receiving the affectionate greetings of nearly the whole company, came to join us,—to see, as she insisted, that we were out of mischief. “Yes, Mari’ was one o’ them pretty little lambs that make dreadful homely old sheep,” replied Mrs. Todd with energy. “Cap’n Littlepage never’d look so disconsolate if she was any sort of a proper person to direct things. She might divert him; yes, she might divert the old gentleman, an’ let him think he had his own way, ’stead o’ arguing everything down to the bare bone. ’Twouldn’t hurt her to sit down an’ hear his great stories once in a while.” “The stories are very interesting,” I ventured to say. “Yes, you always catch yourself a-thinkin’ what if they was all true, and he had the right of it,” answered Mrs. Todd. “He’s a good sight better company, though dreamy, than such sordid creatur’s as Mari’ Harris.” “Live and let live,” said dear old Mrs. Blackett gently. “I haven’t seen the captain for a good while, now that I ain’t so constant to meetin’,” she added wistfully. “We always have known each other.” “Why, if it is a good pleasant day to-morrow, I’ll get William to call an’ invite the capt’in to dinner. William’ll be in early so’s to pass up the street without meetin’ anybody.” “There, they’re callin’ out it’s time to set the tables,” said Mrs. Caplin, with great excitement. “Here’s Cousin Sarah Jane Blackett! Well, I am pleased, certain!” exclaimed Mrs. Todd, with unaffected delight; and these kindred spirits met and parted with the promise of a good talk later on. After this there was no more time for conversation until we were seated in order at the long tables.