t
sunsets, and at the same instant the big light flashed out on the white
tower of the point.

"Captain Jim is never late by the fraction of a second," said Leslie.

Neither Anne nor Leslie ever forgot Captain Jim's face when they gave
him the book--HIS book, transfigured and glorified. The cheeks that
had been blanched of late suddenly flamed with the color of boyhood;
his eyes glowed with all the fire of youth; but his hands trembled as
he opened it.

It was called simply The Life-Book of Captain Jim, and on the title
page the names of Owen Ford and James Boyd were printed as
collaborators. The frontispiece was a photograph of Captain Jim
himself, standing at the door of the lighthouse, looking across the
gulf. Owen Ford had "snapped" him one day while the book was being
written. Captain Jim had known this, but he had not known that the
picture was to be in the book.

"Just think of it," he said, "the old sailor right there in a real
printed book. This is the proudest day of my life. I'm like to bust,
girls. There'll be no sleep for me tonight. I'll read my book clean
through before sun-up."

"We'll go right away and leave you free to begin it," said Anne.

Captain Jim had been handling the book in a kind of reverent rapture.
Now he decidedly closed it and laid it aside.

"No, no, you're not going away before you take a cup of tea with the
old man," he protested. "I couldn't hear to that--could you, Matey?
The life-book will keep, I reckon. I've waited for it this many a
year. I can wait a little longer while I'm enjoying my friends."

Captain Jim moved about getting his kettle on to boil, and setting out
his bread and butter. Despite his excitement he did not move with his
old briskness. His movements were slow and halting. But the girls did
not offer to help him. They knew it would hurt his feelings.

"You just picked the right evening to visit me," he said, producing a
cake from his cupboard. "Leetle Joe's mother sent me down a big basket
full of cakes and pies today. A blessing on all good cooks, says I.
Look at this purty cake, all frosting and nuts. 'Tain't often I can
entertain in such style. Set in, girls, set in! We'll 'tak a cup o'
kindness yet for auld lang syne.'"

The girls "set in" right merrily. The tea was up to Captain Jim's best
brewing. Little Joe's mother's cake was the last word in cakes;
Captain Jim was the prince of gracious hosts, never even permitting his
eye