mistaken somebody's comin' on that train. Somebody for you, Cy
Whittaker."

"Somebody for ME?"

"Um--hum! I can gen'rally be depended on, I cal'late, and when you says
to me: 'Bailey, you get me a housekeeper,' I didn't lose much time. I
got her."

Mr. Tidditt gasped.

"GOT her?" he repeated. "Got who? Got what? Bailey Bangs, what in the
world have--"

"Belay, Ase!" ordered Captain Cy. "Bailey, what are you givin' us?"

"Givin' you a housekeeper, and a good one, too, I shouldn't wonder. She
may not be one of them ten-thousand-dollar prize museum beauties," with
a scornful wink at Asaph, "but if what I hear's true she can keep house.
Anyhow she's kept one for forty odd year. Her name's Deborah Beasley,
she's a widow over to East Trumet, and if I don't miss my guess, she's
in the depot wagon now headed in this direction."

Captain Cy whistled. Mr. Tidditt was too much surprised to do even that.

"I was speakin' to the feller that drives the candy cart," continued
Bailey, "and I asked him if he'd run acrost anybody, durin' his trips
'round the country, who'd be likely to hire out for a housekeeper. He
thought a spell and then named over some. Among 'em was this Beasley
one. I asked some more questions and, the answers bein' satisfactory to