"Yup," replied the captain calmly. "How are you, Heman? Fatter'n you
used to be, ain't you? Washin'ton must agree with you."

Bailey and Asaph were scandalized. Mr. Atkins himself seemed a trifle
taken aback. Comments on his personal appearance were not usual in
Bayport. But he rallied bravely.

"Well, well!" he cried. "Cyrus, I am delighted to welcome you back among
us. I should scarcely have known you. You are older--yes, much older."

"Well, forty year more or less, added to what you started with, is apt
to make a feller some older. Don't need any Normal School graduate to do
that sum for us. I'm within seven or eight year of bein' as old as you
are, Heman, and that's too antique to be sold for veal."

Mr. Atkins changed the subject.

"I had heard of your return, Cyrus," he said. "It gave me much pleasure
to learn that you were rebuilding and--er--renovating the--er--the
ancestral--er--"

"The old home nest? Yup, I'm puttin' back a few feathers. Old birds like
to roost comf'table. You've got a fairly roomy coop yourself."

"Hum! Isn't it--er--I should suppose you would find it rather expensive.
Can you--do you--"

"Yes, I can afford it, thank you. Maybe there'll be enough left in the
stockin' to buy a few knickknacks for the yard. You can't tell."