what you've got to do. My motto is veni, vidi, vici, which freely
translated means I can sleep asea when I can't sleep ashore."

"But Aunt Mary?" cried Jack blankly.

"She's all right," said Mitchell; "she'll soon reach the cold burnt toast
stage and when she reaches the stage we'll all welcome her into any
chorus. Here's to choruses in general and one chorus girl in particular. I
haven't met her yet, but I shall know her when I do, for she will look at
me. Up to now they've all looked elsewhere and at other men. If my fortune
was only in my face it might draw some interest, but--"

"Lady Belle" careened violently and Clover went over backwards for the
second time with much in his wake.

"Oh, I say," said Mitchell, rising in disgust, "if you want everything on
the table at once why take it. Only I'm going on deck. After you've bathed
in the gravy you can have it. Ditto the other liquids. Jack and I are
going up to dance a hornpipe and sing for Burnett. He looked rather
ennuyed to me when we came down."

Along toward eight o'clock that night "Lady Belle" anchored somewhere in
the Sound and tugged vigorously at her cables all night.

With the dawn she headed back towards New York.

"As a success my entertainment has been a failure," said Mitchell to Jack
as they walked up and down the deck after breakfast; "but into each life
some rain must fall, and I offer myself as a sacrificial background to
Aunt Mary's glowing, living pictures of New York."

"I wish you hadn't, though," said Jack; "she'll never want a yacht of her
own now. And how under Scorpion are we ever going to land her?"

"In a sheet, my able-bodied young friend, in a sheet," said Mitchell
clapping him on the back. "Don't you know the 'Weigh the Baby' game? It
may double her up a bit, but the redoubtable Janice will straighten her
out again. Here's to the sheet, be it a wet sheet, a main sheet, or a
sheet with your Aunt Mary tied up in it."

Mitchell was as good as his word and they landed Aunt Mary in a sheet. The
very harbor-tugs stopped puffing and stood open-mouthed to stare at the
performance, but it was an unalloyed success, and Aunt Mary was gotten
onto dry land at last.

"I don't want to do nothin' for a day or two," she said, as they drove to
the house.

Janice had the bed open, and a hot-water bottle down where Aunt Mary's
feet might be expected, and all sorts of comfort ready to hand.

"I'm so glad to see you safe back," she said, almo