rattle-trap we had to trust ourselves to, Gerald, to get to the railroad connection. The track was almost dangerous on account of the rain. You were on that island, you say, all through the storm?"
"With the Probascos? Yes; it was funny."
"Funny! They are angels who live in an atmosphere of humor, then. I propose to go over there to-morrow—we'll all go—and we'll thank them as never they were thanked before. Shall we, Marcy?"
"Obed must be in bed still, and pretty sick," Gerald said, "or we'd have heard from or seen them."
"But why—why didn't somebody send us word of some sort from the Ossokosee? There was the message to the hotel—"
"Which is shut, I tell you!"
"Mr. and Mrs. Wooden ought to have got theirs! If the house was shut, where was Mr. Fisher or whoever was about the place superintending the winding-up for you."
"Ah, well, that I can't altogether explain, I admit," replied Mr. Marcy. "Of course, there ought to have been people on hand, and I should suppose they would know enough to
