g to become of _me_? We haven't a cent. What kind of a
guardian are you? Do you want us to starve?"

He was shouting again. The captain was calm. "Oh," he said, "I guess
it won't reach to the starvation point. I'm a pretty tough old critter,
'cordin' to your estimate, but I shouldn't let my brother's children
starve. If the wust comes to the wust, there's always a home and plenty
to eat for you both at South Denboro."

This offer did not appear to comfort the young gentleman greatly. His
disgust was evident.

"South Denboro!" he repeated, scornfully. "Gad!... South Denboro!"

"Yup. But we'll let South Denboro alone for now and stick to New York.
What is it you expect me to do? What are you drivin' at?"

Stephen shook a forefinger in his guardian's face.

"I expect you to make her stick to her engagement," he cried. "And make
her make him stick. She can, can't she? It's been announced, hasn't it?
Everybody knows of it! She's got the right--the legal right to hold him,
hasn't she?"

His uncle regarded him with a quizzical smile. "Why, ye-es," he
answered, "I cal'late she has, maybe. Course, there's no danger of his
wantin' to do such a thing, but if he should I presume likely we could
make it uncomfortable for him, anyhow. What are you hankerin' for,
Steve--a breach-of-promise suit? I've always understood those sort of
cases were kind of unpleasant--for everybody but the newspapers."

The boy was in deadly earnest. "Pleasant!" he repeated. "Is any of this
business pleasant? You make her act like a sensible girl! You're her
guardian, and you make her! And, after that, if he tries to hedge, you
tell him a few things. You can hold him! Do it! _Do_ it!"

Captain Elisha turned on his heel and began pacing up and down the room.
His nephew watched him eagerly.

"Well," he demanded, after a moment, "what are we going to do? Are we
going to make him make good?"

The captain paused. "Steve," he answered, deliberately, "I ain't sure as
we are. And, as I've said, if he's got a spark of decency, it won't be
necessary for us to try. If it should be--if it should be--"

"Well, _if_ it should be?"

"Then we can try, that's all. Maybe you run a course a little different
from me, Stevie; you navigate 'cordin' to your ideas, and I do by mine.
But in some ways we ain't so fur apart. Son," with a grim nod, "you rest
easy on one thing--the Corcoran Dunn fleet is goin' to show its colors."

CHAPTER XIX

Caroline sat by