14/56 A wrathful pursuing parent had collared the exterminator at the Bayport station, to the huge delight of East Harniss, young and old. Since this adventure Issy had been famous, in a way. Why an assistant was needed was a much discussed question. Why Captain Sol, a retired seafaring man with money in the bank, should care to be depot master at ten dollars a week was another. The Captain himself said he took the place because he wanted to do something that was "half way between a loaf and a job." He employed an assistant at his own expense because he "might want to stretch the loafin' half." And he hired Issy because--well, because "most folks in East Harniss are alike and you can always tell about what they'll say or do. |