It's
clear Providence, the way the city folks has fallen, as you might say,
right in our open mouths. There'll be plenty of chances on the mainland
fur Janet t' turn a penny, an' get an idea of self-support. But she
ought t' be there, and not stuck here!"

Mrs. Jo G. had hardly turned the Point, after this epoch-making speech,
before Billy was starting for the Light and the one friend of his heart.

"David," he explained, viewing his friend through a fog of thick, blue
smoke, "I want that ye should take my girl! Once Janet is here, she'll
be mighty spry 'bout gettin' in t' somethin'. I don't want her t' take
t' washin' or servin' strangers, 'less she wants t', but when 'sperience
_an'_ money is floatin' loose, my girl ought t' be out with her net."

"Course!" nodded David; "an' Janet's a rare fisher fur these new
waters."

"Ye'll keep yer eye on her, David--knowin' all ye do?"

The furrows deepened on Billy's brow. David took his pipe from his
mouth.

"God's my witness! I will that!" he said.

Thus things stood while Janet, coiled in the meshes, lay laughing up at
Billy.

"What do you think of your haul, Cap'n Billy Daddy?" The man sighed.
"You wouldn't let those dreadful old sharks--they _are_ sharks,
Cap'n--you wouldn't let them hurt your poor little fish, now would
you?" The rippling, girlish laugh jarred Billy's nerves. He must take a
new tack.

"See here, Janet, do ye mind this? Ye ain't jes' _my_ child--Lord knows
ye ain't--yer hers!"

"Hers?"

"Yes."

"Ah! you mean my mother." The net lay quite still. Having no memory of
the mother, Janet was not deeply impressed. "I know, Cap'n; when you are
in a difficulty you always bring--'her'--in,--what she would like, and
what she wouldn't. It's my belief, Cap'n, she'd have done and thought
exactly as we told her to."

"'T ain't so, nuther! She had heaps of common sense, an' as she got near
port, she saw turrible clear, an' she talked considerable 'bout larnin',
an' how it could steer yer craft better than anythin' else; an' she
'lowed if ye was gal or lad, after ye got larnin', she wanted ye should
go out int' the world an' test it. She wasn't over sot 'bout the
Station. She'd visited other places."

Janet sat up, and idly draped the net about her.

"I suppose if my mother had lived," she said, "I would have listened to
her--some. But, Cap'n Daddy, I reckon she would have gone off _with_
me. Like as not we would have taken boarders, but, don't you see