When they got closer, he was saying, “Many’s been saved at revival, twenty-two last Sunday including a Doyle, ought to counted two. Hope they’ll be a blessing to Dover community besides a shining star in Heaven. Now what?” he asked, for they had arrived and stood gathered in front of the steps.

“If nobody is using your wide net, could we use it?” asked William Wallace.

“You just used it a month ago,” said Doc. “It ain’t your turn.”

Virgil jogged William Wallace’s arm and cleared his throat. “This time is kind of special,” he said. “We got reason to think William Wallace’s wife Hazel is in the river, drowned.”

“What reason have you got to think she’s in the river drowned?” asked Doc. He took out his old pipe. “I’m asking the husband.”

“Because she’s not in the house,” said William Wallace.

“Vanished?” and he knocked out the pipe.

“Plum vanished.”

“Of course a thousand things could have happened to her,” said Doc, and he lighted the pipe.

“Hand him up the letter, William Wallace,” said Virgil. “We can’t wait around till Doomsday for the net while Doc sits back thinkin’.”

“I tore it up, right at the first,” said William Wallace. “But I know it by heart. It said she was going to jump straight in the Pearl River and that I’d be sorry.”

“Where do you come in, Virgil?” asked Doc.

“I was in the same place William Wallace sat on his neck in, all night, and done as much as he done, and come home the same time.”

“You-all were out cuttin’ up, so Lady Hazel has to jump in the river, is that it? Cause and effect? Anybody want to argue with me? Where do these others come in, Doyles, Malones, and what not?”

“Doc is the smartest man around,” said William Wallace, turning to the solidly waiting Doyles, “but it sure takes time.”

“These are the ones that’s collected to drag the river for her,” said Virgil.

“Of course I am not going on record to say so soon that I think she’s drowned,” Doc said, blowing out blue smoke.

“Do you think . . .” William Wallace mounted a step, and his hands both went into fists. “Do you think she was carried off?”

“Now that’s the way to argue, see it from all sides,” said Doc promptly. “But who by?”

Some Malone whistled, but not so you could tell which one.

“There’s no booger around the Dover section that goes around carrying off young girls that’s married,” stated Doc.

“She was always scared of the Gypsies.” William Wallace turned scarlet. “She’d sure turn her ring around on her finger if she passed one, and look in the other direction so they couldn’t see she was pretty and carry her off. They come in the end of summer.”