"Come-Outer religion's all right, for those that have that kind of
appetite, but havin' it passed to me three times a day, same as I've
had it at your house, is enough; I don't hanker to have it warmed over
between meals. If I shipped Matildy aboard here she and the Reverend
Daniels would stand over me, watch and watch, till I was converted or
crazy, one or the other."

"Well, there's Angie. She--"

"Angie!" sniffed Mr. Tidditt. "Stop your jokin', Bailey. This is a
serious matter."

"I wan't jokin'. What--"

"There! there! boys," interrupted the captain; "don't fight. Bailey
didn't mean to joke, Ase; he's full of what the papers call 'unconscious
humor.' I'll give in that Angie is about as serious a matter as I can
think of without settin' down to rest. Humph! so fur we haven't gained
any knots to speak of. Any more candidates on your mind?"

More possibilities were mentioned, but none of them seemed to fill the
bill. The conference broke up without arriving at a decision. Mr. Bangs
and the town clerk walked down the hill together.

"Do you know, Bailey," said Asaph, "the way I look at it, this pickin'
out a housekeeper for Whit ain't any common job. It's somethin' to think
over. Cy's a restless critter; been cruisin' hither and yon all his
life. I'm sort of scared that he'll get tired of Bayport and quit if
things here don't go to suit him. Now if a real good nice woman--a nice
LOOKIN' woman, say--was to keep house for him it--it--"