emark--about the
weather--when she turned her head and became absorbed in something
outside. The skipper fell to regarding the clouds again with even more
disfavor than the missing captain himself could have shown.

"That was taken just before he disappeared," said the old lady, entering
the room again and handing him a photograph. "You can keep that."

The skipper took it and gazed intently at the likeness of a sturdy
full-bearded man of about sixty. Then he placed it carefully in his
breast-pocket and rose to his feet.

"And if I should happen to drop across him," he said slowly, "what might
his name be?"

"Gething," said the old lady, "Captain Gething. If you should see him,
and would tell him that he has nothing to fear, and that his wife and
his daughter Annis are dying to see him, you will have done what I can
never, never properly thank you for."

"I'll do my best," said the other warmly. "Good-afternoon."

He shook hands with the old woman, and then, standing with his hands by
his side, looked doubtfully at Annis.

"Good-afternoon," she said cheerfully.

Mrs. Gething showed him to the door.

"Any time you are at Gravesend, captain, we shall be pleased to see you
and hear how you get on," she said as she let him out.

The captain thanked her, pausing at the gate to glance covertly at the
window; but the girl was bending over her work again, and he walked away
rapidly.

Until he had reached his ship and was sitting down to his belated dinner
he had almost forgotten, in the joyful excitement of having something to
do for Miss Gething, the fact that she was engaged to another man. As he
remembered this he pushed his plate from him, and, leaning his head on
his hand, gave way to a fit of deep melancholy. He took the photograph
from his pocket, and, gazing at it intently, tried to discover a
likeness between the father and daughter. There was not sufficient to
warrant him in bestowing a chaste salute upon it.

"What do you think o' that?" he inquired, handing it over to the mate,
who had been watching him curiously.

"Any friend o' yours?" inquired the mate, cautiously.

"No," said the other.

"Well, I don't think much of him," said the mate. "Where d'you get it?"

"It was given to me," said the skipper. "He's missing, and I've got to
find him if I can. You might as well keep your eyes open too."

"Where are you going to look for him?" asked the mate.

"Everywhere," said the other. "I'm told that