of water; a third, that of naming a State representative.  Naturally, while these things might be to the advantage of Palmer or not, they were of no great import to Burridge, but yet he managed to see in them an attempt or attempts to saddle a large public debt upon widows and orphans, those who could not afford or did not need these things, and he proceeded to so express himself at various public meetings.  Slowly the breach widened.  Burridge became little more than a malcontent in many people’s eyes.  He was a “knocker,” a man who wanted to hold the community back.

Although defeated in many instances he won in others, and this did not help matters any.  At this point, among other things the decay of the fishing industry helped to fix definitely the position of the two men as that of victor and vanquished.  Whaling died out, then mackerel and cod were caught only at farther and farther distances from the town, and finally three- and even two-masted schooners ceased entirely to buy their outfits here, and Burridge was left dependent upon local patronage or smaller harbor trade for his support.  Coextensively, he had the dissatisfaction of seeing Palmer’s industries grow until eventually three hundred and fifty men were upon his payrolls and even his foremen and superintendents were considered influential townspeople.  Palmer’s son and two daughters grew up and married, branched out and became owners of industries which had formerly belonged to men who had traded with Burridge.  He saw his grocery trade dwindle and sink, while with age his religiosity grew, and he began to be little more than a petty disputant, one constantly arguing as to whether the interpretation of the Bible as handed down from the pulpit of what he now considered his recalcitrant church was sound or not.  When those who years before had followed him obediently now pricked him with theological pins and ventured to disagree with him, he was quick and sometimes foolish in his replies.  Thus, once a former friend and fellow-church-member who had gone over to the opposition came into his store one morning and said: 

“Elihu, for a man that’s as strong on religion as you are, I see you do one thing that can’t quite be justified by the Book.”

“What’s that?” inquired Burridge, looking up.

“I see you sell tobacco.”

“I see you chew it,” returned the host grimly.

“I know I do,” returned his visitor, “but I’ll tell you what I’ll do, Elihu.  If you’ll quit selling, I’ll quit chewing it,” and he looked as if he had set a fancy trap for his straw-balancing brother, as he held him to be.

“It’s a bargain,” said Burridge on the instant.  “It’s a bargain!”

And from that day on tobacco was not offered for sale in that store, although there was a large local demand for it.