pretty, but it
won't do."

"I swear it's the truth," said the mate.

"Why did John keep it so quiet and hide her for, then?" demanded his
sister.

"I came down for the trip," said Miss Harris; "that is all about it.
There is nothing to make a fuss about. How much is it, Captain Gibbs?"

She produced a little purse from her pocket, but before the embarrassed
skipper could reply, his infuriated wife struck it out of her hand. The
mate sprang instinctively forward, but too late, and the purse fell with
a splash into the water. The girl gave a faint cry and clasped her
hands.

"How am I to get back?" she gasped.

"I'll see to that, Lucy," said the mate. "I'm very sorry--I've been a
brute."

"You?" said the indignant girl. "I would sooner drown myself than be
beholden to you."

"I'm very sorry," repeated the mate, humbly.

"There's enough of this play-acting," interposed Mrs. Gibbs. "Get off
this barge."

"You stay where you are," said the mate, authoritatively.

"Send that girl off this barge," screamed Mrs. Gibbs to her husband.

Captain Gibbs smiled in a silly fashion and scratched his head. "Where
is she to go?" he asked feebly.

"Wh'at does it matter to you where she goes?" cried his wife, fiercely.
"Send her off."

The girl eyed her haughtily, and repulsing the mate as he strove to
detain her, stepped to the side. Then she paused as he suddenly threw
off his coat, and sitting down on the hatch, hastily removed his boots.
The skipper, divining his intentions, seized him by the arm.

"Don't be a fool, Ted," he gasped; "you'll get under the barge."

The mate shook him off, and went in with a splash which half drowned his
adviser. Miss Harris, clasping her hands, ran to the side and gazed
fearfully at the spot where he had disappeared, while his sister in a
terrible voice seized the opportunity to point out to her husband the
probably fatal results of his ill-doing. There was an anxious interval,
and then the mate's head appeared above the water, and after a breathing-
space disappeared again. The skipper, watching uneasily, stood by with a
lifebelt.

"Come out, Ted," screamed his sister as he came up for breath again.

The mate disappeared once more, but coming up for the third time, hung on
to the side of the barge to recover a bit. A clothed man in the water
savours of disaster and looks alarming. Miss Harris began to cry.

"You'll be drowned," she whimpered.

"Come out," sai