doin', then?"

Before the girl could reply, the women returned, and in a few minutes
she and Mrs. Hampton left the house. Jess was pleased at the
interruption, for the conversation was becoming embarrassing.
Nevertheless, she thought more of the captain for his friendly words of
advice, and cherished them in the depth of her heart. She knew that
they were true, and that to marry the man she loved would free her from
all annoyance of Donaster.

There was great excitement the next day in the Tobin family when "The
Daily Courier" arrived. It had a full account of the thrilling
experience of rescuing the "Eb and Flo" at the brink of the falls.
Mrs. Tobin read it aloud, while the captain and Flo listened with
intense interest. At times the former interrupted with exclamations of
surprise. He was more excited than his wife had ever seen him, and he
could hardly restrain himself from leaping from the sofa and prancing
around the room.

"Well, I'll be jiggered!" he thundered, when his wife had finished, and
laid aside the paper. "Why in time didn't Eben tie up at some wharf
instead of goin' through the Narrows when the tide was runnin' down?
That boy hasn't enough brains to last him over night."

"Don't talk that way, Sam'l," his wife chided. "No doubt the poor boy
was doing the best he could. He must have used his brains when he
saved the boat from going on the mud flats."

"Sure, sure, Martha. Yer quite right. But, say, what a narrow squeeze
that was! In another minute Eben an' the boat would have been into the
falls, an', then, Good Lord!"

"Doesn't the paper say there were two men with him?" Flo asked. "Who
were they, do you suppose?" The girl's face was pale, and she was
greatly agitated.

"Yes, yes, it does say thar were two men, who left in a motor-boat,"
the captain replied. "Now, who were they? D'ye s'pose they were on
the boat when the storm struck, an' helped Eben hist the sail? They
must have been thar, fer that boy could never have histed that sail
alone. Read it all over agin, Martha."

The Tobin family had now a great subject for conversation, which kept
them talking and speculating for the rest of the day. Mrs. Tobin
carried the paper to her neighbours across the way, and discussed it
with them. Jess said very little, although she was doing some serious
thinking. Two men were with Eben, and they had evidently been with him
during the storm. Fearful as she was of being followed, she