The Captain, although still uneasy and far from satisfied, asked no more questions of his niece.  It was evident that nothing was to be gained in that way.  He did, however, question Isaiah to learn if the latter had noticed anything unusual in Crawford’s manner or if Crawford had said anything concerning his reason for coming on at that time, but Isaiah had noticed nothing.

“Umph!” grunted Shadrach, rather impatiently, for the mystery in the affair irritated him.  “Of course, you didn’t notice.  You wouldn’t notice if your head came off.”

Mr. Chase drew himself up.  “If I hove out such a statement as that,” he observed, scornfully, “you’d call me a fool.  ‘If my head come off!’ How could I notice anything if my head was off?  You tell me that!”

His employer grinned.  “I cal’late you could do it about as well as you can with it on, Isaiah,” he said, and walked away, leaving the cook and steward incoherently anxious to retort but lacking ammunition.

So Shadrach was obliged to give up the riddle.  Lovers’ quarrels were by no means unusual, he knew that, and many young love affairs came to nothing.  Mary had never told him that she cared for Crawford.  But she had never said she did not care for him.  And now she would say nothing except that it was “done with forever.”  The Captain shook his head and longed for Zoeth’s counsel and advice.  But Zoeth would not be able to counsel or advise for months.

And now Mary seemed bent upon proving the truth of her statement that she was henceforth to be solely a business woman.  The summer being over—­and it had been, everything considered, a successful one for Hamilton and Company—­it became time to buy fall and winter goods, also goods for the holidays.  Mary went to Boston on a buying expedition.  When she returned and informed her uncle what and how much she had bought, he looked almost as if he had been listening to the reading of his death warrant.

“Jumpin’ Judas!” he exclaimed.  “You don’t mean to tell me you bought all them things and—­and got trusted for ’em?”

“Of course I did, Uncle Shad.  It is the only way I could buy them; and, so far as that goes, everyone was glad to sell me.  You see, our paying our bills up there in a shorter time than I asked for has made a very good impression.  I could have bought ever and ever so much more if I had thought it best.”

“Jumpin’ fire!  Well, I’m glad you didn’t think it best.  What in the nation we’re goin’ to do with all we have got I don’t see.”

“Do with it?  Why, sell it, of course.”

“Urn—­yes, I cal’lated that was the idea, probably; but who’s goin’ to buy it?”

“Oh, lots of people.  You’ll see.  I am going to advertise this fall, advertise in the papers.  Oh, we’ll make Baker’s Bazaar and the rest worry a little before we’re through.”