"She was born here in Trumet, but went away to New Bedford when she was young and grew up there.

Her maiden name was Hall, but while she was away she married a man named Ansel Coffin.

They didn't live together very long and weren't happy, I guess.

I don't know whose fault it was, nobody knows much of anything about it, for that's the one thing she won't talk about.
Anyhow, the Coffin man was lost to sea, and after a while she came back to keep house for her brother Solomon.

She's an awful odd stick, but she's a good cook, I believe; though I'm afraid you won't get the meals people such as ourselves, who've been so much in the city, are used to." Ellery thought of the meals at his city boarding house and shuddered.