"Is she a Spiritualist, too?"

"No, no. Course she don't say much on her pa's account, but Zach says
she don't take no stock in it. Lulie has to be pretty careful, 'cause
ever since Cap'n Jethro found out about Nelse he--Hey? Yes'm, I'm
a-comin'."

Miss Phipps had called to her from the kitchen door. Galusha stood by
the fence a while longer. Then he went in to supper. Before he went to
his room that night he asked his landlady a question.

"That--ah--maid of yours has a peculiar name, hasn't she?" he observed.
"Primmie. I think I never heard it before."

Miss Martha laughed.

"I should say it was peculiar!" she exclaimed. "Her Christian name is
Primrose, if you can call such a name Christian. I almost died when I
heard it first. She's a queer blossom, Primmie is, a little too much tar
in her upper riggin', as father used to say, but faithful and willin' as
a person could be. I put up with her tongue and her--queerness on that
account. Some friends of mine over at Falmouth sent her to me; they knew
I needed somebody in the house after father died. Her name is Primrose
Annabel Cash and she comes from a nest of such sort of folks in the
Mashpaug woods. She provokes me sometimes, but I have a good deal of fun
with her on the whole. You ought to see her and Zacheus Bloomer together
and hear 'em talk; THEN you would think it was funny."

"Is this Mr.--ah--Bloomer queer also?"