d the boy, and
he has been doing this work on the sly. He showed them to me, though,
and I have promised to give him some lessons."

"Ye have!"

"Yes, providing you will let me. And you will, won't you? It would be
a great pity not to help and encourage him. If you do, you may be
proud of him some day."

The captain gripped the wheel with firm hands, and looked straight
before him. His face was a study, and the girl watched him somewhat
curiously. She knew how his heart was set upon fitting Eben to take
his place, and to relinquish that hope would be a great hardship.

"Guess I'll have to talk this over with Martha," he at length
announced. "She an' Flo are so dead set upon Eben bein' a captain that
I don't believe they'll listen to me fer a minute."

"But suppose Eben should take matters into his own hands?" Jess
queried. "You may think you can control him, but you cannot tell how
soon he may slip from your grasp. Would it not be better to hold his
affections by helping him in every way you can? I wish I could see
your wife and daughter. I feel quite sure that I could make them see
the matter in a different light. Perhaps I could change their minds."

"Mebbe ye could, Miss," and the captain gave a deep sigh. "But I can't
hold out much hope. If ye knew 'em as well as I do, ye wouldn't feel
very sure, let me tell ye that. An' besides, Miss, I don't think ye'll
ever see 'em, anyway, not on this craft."

"I won't!" The expression in the girl's eyes showed her surprise.
"Why, I thought we would be at your home to-day, and that I would
surely meet them."

"Yes, we'll be at me home, all right," and the captain's face grew
serious. "We'll see it, but we won't stop. Oh, no, it would be all up
with me if Martha an' Flo should catch you here. We'll jist give 'em
the go-by to-day, an' it'll be the fust time I've ever done sich a
thing. I've been allus mighty glad to git home, even fer a few
minutes."

"Captain, are you really afraid of your wife and daughter?" the girl
asked. "Wouldn't it be very easy to explain how I came on this boat,
and that it wasn't your fault at all?"

"I wouldn't git a chance to explain, Miss. Ye see, Martha an' Flo are
fine women when it comes to cookin', lookin' after the house, an' sich
things. But when it comes to the question of other women, an'
'specially one who has run away from home, an' can't give a reasonable
account of herself, well, that's different."

"Oh