Cornelius Rowe shook his head, with an air of wisdom. Captain Sol,
himself, remarked once: "I wonder sometimes the Almighty ain't jealous
of Cornelius, he knows so much and is so responsible for the runnin' of
all creation."

"Humph!" grunted Mr. Rowe. "There's more to that business than you folks
think. Olive didn't notice Bill Edwards till Sol went off to sea and
stayed two years and over. How do you know she shook Sol? You might just
as well say he shook her. He always was stubborn as an off ox and cranky
as a windlass. I wonder how he feels now, when she's lost her last red
and is goin' to be drove out of house and home. And all on account of
that fool 'mountain and Mahomet' business."

"WHICH?" asked Mr. Crocker.

"Never mind that, Cornelius," put in Phinney, sharply. "Why don't you
let other folks' affairs alone? That was a secret that Olive told your
sister and you've got no right to go blabbin'."

"Aw, hush up, Sim! I ain't tellin' no secrets to anybody but Ed here,
and he ain't lived in East Harniss long or he'd know it already. The
mountain and Mahomet? Why, them was the last words Sol and Olive had.
'Twas Sol's stubbornness that was most to blame. That was his one bad
fault. He would have his own way and he wouldn't change. Olive had set
her heart on goin' to Washin'ton for their weddin' tower. Sol wanted
to go to Niagara. They argued a long time, and finally Olive says, 'No,
Solomon, I'm not goin' to give in this time. I have all the others, but
it's not fair and it's not right, and no married life can be happy where
one does all the sacrificin'. If you care for me you'll do as I want
now.'