helping
hand.

It was Whyn's room which received special attention. A carpet was
ordered from the city to take the place of the old hooked-mat, and new
curtains were put up to the window.

"My, that looks fine," Miss Arabella exclaimed, when the last finishing
touches had been given to the room. "It will certainly be a surprise."

The captain chuckled when he was brought in to give his opinion. In
fact, he had been chuckling ever since Mrs. Britt had received the
letter which started her upon the special cleaning of her already neat
house. The scouts felt that something out of the ordinary was pleasing
the captain by his jolly manner. They often discussed it among
themselves, but the more they talked, the more puzzled they became.
They all knew about the house-cleaning, the new carpet, and curtains
for Whyn's room, and that Miss Arabella was at the Anchorage most of
the time.

"I guess I know what it's all about," Tommy Bunker confided one
afternoon, when the scouts were discussing the matter.

"What do you know?" Rod asked.

"Jimmy's going to get married."

"Married!" was the surprised shout from all.

"Yes. He's going to marry Miss Arabella. Pa said last night that
she's been looking for a man ever since he knew her, and if it wasn't
to be her wedding, he was mighty sure she wouldn't be so mighty chummy
with the captain and his wife."

"But they wouldn't live at the Anchorage," Phil replied. "Miss
Arabella's got a home of her own, hasn't she?"

"Pa says that Jimmy and Tom Simpkins don't agree, and so they couldn't
live in the same house," Tommy explained.

The scouts no longer scoffed at this idea. It did seem to them that
something like a wedding was about to take place. The captain was so
mysterious and full of fun, while Miss Arabella beamed upon the boys
whenever she met them. It must surely be her wedding, they agreed.

At the close of the second week of all this excitement, the scouts
received orders from the captain to meet him at the wharf in full
uniform upon the arrival of the evening boat. They were all there half
an hour ahead of time, wondering what was going to happen. Maybe Jimmy
and Miss Arabella had gone to the city that day, had been married, and
were coming up on the steamer. What else could it be?

When at last the steamer did arrive, and the gang-planks had been run
out, the scouts strained their eyes in an effort to find out who were
coming ashore. Several landed,