've heard of you, I gave you credit for having more sense.
Your father wouldn't have said that. He believed there wasn't a thing in
the world a man or woman couldn't do, if they tried hard enough. And he
gave them the chance to make good. But I'll tell you right now, you've
got a lot to learn before you'll be able to wear his hat."

Gregory sank deeper into his chair as Dickie Lang proceeded with his
arraignment. Nothing could be said until she was through. His silence
gave the girl a free rein to express her feelings.

"You think I don't know my game because I'm a woman. Why, I've been on
the sea since I was a kid. If my father hadn't made me go to school, I
would have lived with him on the water. And don't you suppose in fishing
with a man like Bill Lang, a person learns something? Doesn't that more
than make up for the handicap of being a woman?"

The young man waited for a chance to put in a word but none came.
Becoming angrier each minute, she hurried on:

"There isn't a man in Legonia but you who would have said that. Not even
Mascola. He hates me only because I do know my business. And you, a
stranger, come down here and tell me----"

"I didn't say you didn't know your business," Gregory interjected as she
drew a long breath.

"No, but you thought it just the same. And what right have you to think
things like that? What do you know about things here? You never saw the
place until just a few weeks ago. And you've been gone ever since. I'll
bet you were never in a fish cannery before in your life. I'll bet right
now you don't know what you're going to do next. You're waiting for
Blair to get well and tell you. Suppose he doesn't. He's a mighty sick
man and it's a cinch if he does come back it won't be for a long time.
What are you going to do in the meantime besides tell me I don't----"

Gregory held up his hand to check a further outburst.

"Listen," he said. "There is no use going on like this. Our fathers were
the best of friends. Why can't we be the same? I'm willing to admit
there is a lot of truth in what you say about my not knowing just what
I'm going to do right now. I didn't select the position I'm in, but I'm
going to make the best of things as they are and finish up the work
which was begun by my father. And I want to say right now that I'm going
to finish it.

"In a way," he went on slowly, "our positions are somewhat similar. We
each have a job to finish. I didn't think yours meant as much to