“Here you be!  Hard at it!” said Captain Ben, puffing around the corner like a portable west-wind.  I’ve understood you’ve had a hurt.  Is that so?”

“Oh, no!  Nothing to mention,” returned Mrs. Keens, turning about a face bright and cheerful as the full moon; and throwing, as by accident, a red bathing-suit over the two broomsticks that leaned against her tub.

Unlike Mrs. Davids, Mrs. Keens neither pitied herself nor would allow anybody else to do so.

“Sho!” remarked Captain Ben, feeling defrauded.  He had counted on sacrificing himself to his sympathies, but he didn’t give up yet.  “You must see some pretty tough times ’pears to me with such a parcel of little ones, and only yourself to look to,” said he, proceeding awkwardly enough to hang the pile of wrung-out clothes upon an empty line.

“I don’t complain,” returned the widow, bravely.  “My children are not teusome; and Jack, why you would be surprised to see how many things Jack can do, for all he isn’t quite right.”

As she spoke thus with affectionate pride, Jack came up wheeling a roughly made cart filled with wet bathing clothes from the beach.  He looked up at sound of his mother’s voice with something of the dumb tenderness of an intelligent dog.  “Jack helps, Jack good boy,” said he, nodding with a happy smile.

“Yes, Jack helps.  We don’t complain,” repeated the mother.

“It would come handy, though, to have a man around to see to things and kind o’ provide, wouldn’t it, though?” persisted Captain Ben.

“Some might think so,” replied Mrs. Keens, stopping her wringer to reflect a little.  “But I haven’t any wish to change my situation,” she added, decidedly, going on again with her work.

“Sure on ’t?” persisted the Captain.

“Certain,” replied the widow.

Captain Ben sighed.  “I thought ma’be you was having a hard row to hoe, and I thought like enough—­”

What he never said, excepting by a beseeching glance at the cheerful widow, for just then an interruption came from some people after bathing-suits.

So Captain Ben moved off with a dismal countenance.  But before he had gone far it suddenly brightened.  “It might not be for the best,” quoth he to himself, “Like enough not.  I was very careful not to commit myself, and I am very glad I didn’t.”  He smiled as he reflected on his judicious wariness.  “But, however,” he continued, “I might as well finish up this business now.  There is Rachel Doolittle.  Who knows but she’d make a likely wife?  Lyddy sot a good deal by her.  She never had a quilting or a sewing bee but what nothing would do but she must give Rachel Doolittle an invite.  Yes; I wonder I never decided on her before.  She will be glad of a home sure enough, for she haves to live around, as it were, upon her brothers.”

Captain Ben’s feet quickened themselves at these thoughts, and had almost overtaken his head, when behold! at a sudden turn in the road there stood Miss Rachel Doolittle, picking barberries from a wayside bush.  “My sakes!  If she ain’t right here, like Rachel in the Bible!” ejaculated Captain Ben, taking heart at the omen.