The advance sale of seats for the “Pinafore” production had exceeded all expectations. And the evening of the performance brought to the town hall the largest audience it had ever held, even larger than that attending the Old Folks’ Concert. Miss Abbie Makepeace, who contributed the Harniss “locals” to the _Item_, sat up until three o’clock the following morning writing rhapsodies concerning the affair. She used up the very last half inch of space allotted to her and interesting jottings like “Our well known boniface Mrs. Sarepta Ginn will close her select boarding house and hostelry on the fifteenth of the month for the season as usual” were obliged to be put over for another week. Abbie’s whole column was filled with naught but “Pinafore.” “I never supposed there could be anything else as important as that happen in _this_ town in one week,” she explained to Reliance Clark the next day. “If I’d ever expected--but, my soul, who _could_ expect such a thing!” Varunas made no less than three trips from the mansion to the hall that evening. His first passengers were Esther and Seymour Covell, who, being performers, were obliged to be on hand early for dress and make-up. The next occupants of the rear seat were Foster Townsend and Captain and Mrs. Benjamin Snow. The Snow carryall was in the paintshop and Townsend had invited them to ride with him. Nabby and the maid were the third load. It was not until the Giffords were in their seats at the hall that Varunas found opportunity to ask the question which was in his mind. “Nabby,” he whispered, “is anything the matter between Seymour and Esther? Have they had a fallin’ out or anything?” His wife turned to look at him. “What makes you ask that?” she whispered, in return. “The way they acted all the time I was drivin’ ’em down here to-night. Never hardly spoke a word to each other, they didn’t. That is, she never. He set out to once or twice, but she scarcely so much as answered him. Anything happened that you know of?” She shook her head. “They was that way all through supper,” she said. “Cap’n Foster noticed it, too. The hired girl said she suspicioned somethin’ was up, so I made an excuse and went into the dinin’ room myself. They was mum as a deef and dumb asylum when I was there and I see the cap’n watchin’ ’em and pullin’ his whiskers the way he does when he’s bothered. I couldn’t make it out. They were sociable as could be at dinner time and I heard ’em singin’ their songs and laughin’ in the parlor afterwards. Whatever happened must have been after that, that’s sure.”