give you a little surprise. Mis'
Calvinn and the minister knows the whole story," she concluded: "I
wouldn't have kep' it from them. Mis' Calvinn said all along 't would
be a good lesson"--

"Who wrote that card from the post-office?" demanded the captain,
apparently but half persuaded.

"I did," said Mrs. French.

"Good Hector, you women-folks!" but Captain Ball ventured to cross the
room and establish himself in his chair. Then, being a man of humor,
he saw that he had a round turn on those who had spitefufly sought to
question him.

"You needn't let on, that you haven't known me all along," suggested
Mrs. French. "I should be pleased if you would call me by my Christian
name, sir. I was married to Mr. French only a short time; he was taken
away very sudden. The letter that came after aunt's death was directed
to my maiden name, but aunt knew all about me. I've got some means,
an' I ain't distressed but what I can earn my living."

"They don't call me such an old Turk, I hope!" exclaimed the excited
captain, deprecating the underrated estimate of himself which was
suddenly presented. "I ain't a hard man at sea, now I tell ye," and he
turned away, much moved at the injustice of society. "I've got no head
for geneology. Ann usually set in to give me the family particulars
when I was logy with sleep a Sunday night. I thought you was a French
from Massachusetts way."

"I had to say somethin'," responded the housekeeper, promptly.

"Well, well!" and a suppressed laugh shook the captain like an
earthquake. He was suddenly set free from his enemies, while an hour
before he had been hemmed in on every side.

They had a cheerful supper, and Ann French cut a pie, and said, as she
passed him more than a quarter part of it, that she thought she should
give up when she was baking that morning, and saw the look on his face
as he handed her the post-card.

"You're fit to be captain of a privateer," acknowledged Captain Asaph
Ball, handsomely. The complications of shore life were very
astonishing to this seafaring man of the old school.

Early on Monday morning he had a delightful sense of triumph. Captain
Allister, who was the chief gossip of the waterside club, took it upon
himself--a cheap thing to do, as everybody said afterwards--to ask
many questions about those unvalued relatives of the Balls, who had
settled long ago in New York State. Were there any children left of
the captain's half-brother's family?

"I've