s no Captain Jackson here, sir."

"Have you been looking for him long?" inquired the mother.

"Years and years," said the other, forgetting himself.

The old woman sighed sympathetically. "Won't you sit down?" she said.

"Thank you," said the skipper, and took the edge of the sofa.

"You're not quite certain of the name?" suggested the girl coldly.

"It--it sounded like Jackson," murmured the intruder in a small, modest
voice. "It might have been Blackson, or Dackson, or even Snackson--I
won't swear to it."

The old woman put her hand to her brow. "I thought perhaps you might
have brought me some news of my poor husband," she said at length.
"I lost him some years ago, and when you came here inquiring for a
seafaring man I thought you might somehow have brought news."

"You must see, mother, that this gentleman is looking for somebody
else," said the girl; "you are hindering him from finding Captain
Jackson."

"If he's been looking for him for years," said the old woman, bridling
mildly, "a few minutes will not make much difference."

"Certainly not," said Wilson, in a voice which he tried in vain to make
stronger. "When you say lost, ma'am, you mean missing?"

"Five years," said the old woman, shaking her head and folding her
hands in her lap. "How long do you say you've been looking for Captain
Jackson?"

"Seven," said the skipper with a calmness which surprised himself.

"And you haven't given up hope, I suppose?"

"Not while life lasts," said the other, studying the carpet.

"That's the way I feel," said the old woman energetically. "What a
surprise it'll be when you meet him!"

"For both of them," said the girl.

"It's five years last May--the 20th of May," said the old woman, "since
I last saw my poor husband. He--"

"It can't be of any interest to this gentleman, mother," interposed the
girl.

"I'm very much interested, ma'am," said the skipper defiantly; "besides,
when I'm looking for poor Jackson, who knows I mightn't run up against
the other."

"Ah! who knows but what you might," said the old woman. "There's one
gentleman looking for him now--Mr. Glover, my daughter's husband that is
to be."

There was a long pause, then the skipper, by dint of combining his
entire stock of Christianity and politeness, found speech. "I hope he
finds him," he said slowly.

"All that a man can do he's doing," said the old lady. "He's a
commercial traveller by trade, and he gets about a great deal in t