tide. It was a mild
day, more like August than October, and there was almost no wind. The
sun was shining on the shallow water, and the sand beneath it showed
yellow, checkered and marbled with dark green streaks and patches where
the weed-bordered channels wound tortuously. On the horizon the sand
hills of Wellmouth notched the blue sky. The girl drew a long breath.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Isn't this just lovely! I do like the sea an awful
lot."

"That's natural enough," replied her companion. "There's a big streak
of salt water in your blood on your ma's side. It pulls, that kind of a
streak does. There's days when I feel uneasy every minute and hanker for
a deck underneath me. The settin' room floor stays altogether too quiet
on a day like that; I'd like to feel it heavin' over a ground swell."

"Say, Bos'n," he said a few minutes later; "I've been thinkin' about
you. You've been to school, haven't you?"

"Course I have," was the rather indignant answer. "I went two years in
Concord. Mamma used to help me nights, too. I can read almost all the
little words. Don't I help you read your paper 'most every night?"

"Sartin you do! Yes, yes! Well, our school opens to-morrer and I've been
thinkin' that maybe you'd better go. There's a new teacher comin', and I
hear she's pretty good."

"Don't you KNOW? Why, Mr. Tidditt said you was the one that got her to
come here!"

"Yes; well, Asaph says 'most everything but his prayers. Still, he ain't
fur off this time; I cal'late I was some responsible for her bein' voted
in. Yet I don't really know anything about her. You see, I--well, never
mind. What do you think? Want to go?"

Bos'n looked troubled.

"I'd like to," she said. "Course I want to learn how to read the big
words, too. But I like to stay at home with you more."

"You do, hey? Sho, sho! Well, I guess I can get along between times.
Georgiana's there to keep me straight and she'll see to the dust and the
dishes. I guess you'd better go to-morrer mornin' and see how you like
it, anyhow."

The child thought for a moment.

"I think you're awful good," she said. "I like you next to mamma; even
better than Auntie Oliver. I printed a letter to her the other day. I
told her you were better than we expected and I had decided to live with
you always."

Captain Cy was startled. Considering that, only the day before, he
had repeated to Bailey the declaration that the arrangement was but
temporary, and that Betsy Howes