She's so dumb. I declare I can't
never get used to her myself. I like folks lively about me, and I
don't care how much they talk--the more the better.
"Lucretia Latham might have got her a good man and been happily
married long ago, if it hadn't been that when a feller dropped in to
call on her she sat mum all the evening and never said no more than
the cat.
"I remember Silas Payson, who lived over beyond the port, took quite
a shine to Lucretia, seeing her at church. Or, at least, we thought
he did. Silas began going down to Latham's Folly of an evening, now
and then, and setting up with Lucretia. But after a while he left
off going and said he cal'lated he'd join the Quakers over to
Seetawket. Playing Quaker meeting with just one girl to look at
didn't suit, noway." And the old woman laughed placidly.
"Tunis says he understands his aunt," ventured the girl.
"Tunis has had to put up with her. But he can say nothing a good
deal himself, if anybody should ask ye. That's the only fault I've
found with Tunis. I've heard Ira talk at him for a straight hour in
our kitchen, and all the answer Tunis made was to say 'yes' twice."
The girl did not find the captain of the _Seamew_ at all
inarticulate later, as they crossed the old fields of the Ball place
and walked down the slope into the saucerlike valley where lay
Latham's Folly.
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