CAPT. G. Somebody ter go with ye besides Hank! What do you want anybody else for? Ain’t he a good cook? MRS. G. What on airth do you mean? WILL. (_to_ CAPT. G.) Yes, but I want somebody, somebody to be—my—wife. CAPT. G. Dew tell! What kind of a wife do yer want? Not one o’ them gals that wears bangs an’ boot-heels, an’ go a-teetering along the road? WILL. No, I don’t want one of that kind. Mary—Mary says she’ll go with me if you are both willing. MRS. G. Aour Mary! Mary Gandy! CAPT. G. Wal, I swan to man! MRS. G. Why! Mary, where’d he git a chance to ask yer? MARY. I saw him first, mother, as I told you, last fall, when I went down to the wharf with the children, chipping. You know you didn’t want them to go alone. He said then he should come back in the spring, and hoped he’d see me again. WILL. And I have seen her several times; and the other day I told her about the steamboat, and she ’lowed she was willing to go with me. MRS. G. I thought she was ’mazin’ fond o’ chippin’ all to onct. MARY. I guess you mean that ‘I promised,’ don’t you, William? WILL. Yes, you promised, and I told father; and he said he guessed it was all right. He’d known o’ Captain Gandy quite a spell. The Nancy Paige lay at the wharf alongside the Betsey Ludgitt once, down to Castine. J. Q. A. (_trying to mend a whip-lash_). By darn! L. J. My Thunday-thkool teacher theth you muthn’t thay _by darn_; but if you mutht thay _by anything_, you can thay _by jollerth_ (_jollers_). J. Q. A. I saw the skipper’s son kiss Mary, and she kissed him just as he give me a log o’ wood. (_Singing derisively._) Kissin’ the fellers, kissin’ the fellers! (WILL _rises in confusion, and goes to back of stage_.) MRS. G. Stop! John Quincy Adams Gandy! CAPT. G. (_walking about_). I snum to pucker. Wal! seein’ it’s all made up between yer, I don’t see as we have anything to do abaout it. MRS. G. I don’t know as it would do any good for me to say no, even if I wanted to. (_To_ WILLIAM) Haow long you goin’ to be raound here? WILL. Another week. Then I must go home with father to get my things and what money I’ve saved up, then come back and buy the fixings to furnish the cabin with. If Mary’s ready by that time, we will start for the Mississippi about the first of June. CAPT. G. Better come here every day, and let us see something of ye. P’r’aps Mary will conclude not to go, if she sees too much on ye. MRS. G. Yes. Come right here and stay. I feel as if Plumy Johnson’s son must be a good boy; an’, if Mary is set on havin’ ye, I want to get some acquainted with my new son-in-law. (MARY _rises and crosses to_ WILLIAM.) L. J. I geth he ain’t the only thon-in-law you’ll have, mother. MRS. G. I hope he’ll be so good that I shall want another. J. Q. A. (_trying to snap_ L. J.’S _ears_). I s’pose you want to be a loveress, too. (_Makes up a face._) L. J. _You_ won’t be. J. Q. A. I will, too. L. J. You won’t, nuther. (_Makes up a face._)