too old--or too
something--to talk over their troubles and their pleasures with their
mothers, you may be pretty sure they're going wrong somehow; at least
that has always been my experience."

"But, Captain Dan, there are lots of people who surely can't look at
this thing as you do, and as we do too, now that you've shown us,"
remarked Dick, thoughtfully, "for I've seen men, and women too, pick up
little things to taste in the stores, and never seem to think of paying
for them."

The old man sighed wearily. "I know it, lad," he answered; "and I can
tell you more than that. For I've heard of some cases--I hope and trust
they're rare ones, though--where boarding-house keepers in large cities,
who were poorly off, would go from one store to another, and from stand
to stand in the markets, pricing and buying in a small way, while all
the time they would be picking up a nut or so here, an apple or orange
there, or a few raisins over yonder, and in this manner get enough for a
dessert, till their tricks came to be well known, and they were watched
carefully."

"How dreadful!" cried the boys.

"And perhaps," added Theodore, "they began as we did, without thinking
anything about it, and I'm ever so much obliged to you, Captain Dan, for
telling us."

"Yes, indeed!" struck in Dick, earnestly, giving himself a shake; "I see
it exactly now; and I don't mind telling mamma about it half so much as
I do thinking to myself that I ever did such a mean thing, don't you
see."

"Yes," responded his friend, as he looked up into the pure manly face,
feeling that so long as the fact of losing his own self-respect was so
much worse than to lose that of others, he would always have a
safeguard--"yes, I understand. But isn't that the _Firefly_ off yonder?"

The boys ran down to the water's edge, followed at a slower pace by the
captain.

"Dear me! why don't Ethel take the oars and show him how to row?" burst
forth Dick, impatiently, as they watched the tiny craft moving
irregularly toward them.

"Gently, laddie," said the captain; "remember we must all have a
learning; and no doubt you did as badly as that when you began, even
though you're such a crack sailor now; and you know Miss Ethel mightn't
like to give a lesson unless she was asked to do so."

The little boat gradually neared them, though in a very jerky fashion,
showing how unskilled the rower was, till, unhappily, glancing over his
shoulder, he caught sight of the group