per deck, and let the vessel sink under one.

"Then without haste," she explained, "as the water rises about one,
strike out calmly. The life-belt supports one, but swim gently for the
exercise. It will prevent chilling. With a waterproof bag of crackers,
and mild weather, one could go on comfortably for a day or two."

I still remember the despairing face Aggie turned to me. It was December
then, and very cold.

However, she said nothing more until January. Early in that month
Charlie Sands came to Tish's to Sunday dinner, and we were all there.
The subject came up then.

It was about the time Tish took up vegetarianism, I remember that,
because the only way she could induce Charlie Sands to come to dinner
was to promise to have two chops for him. Personally I am not a
vegetarian. I am not and never will be. I took a firm stand except when
at Tish's home. But Aggie followed Tish's lead, of course, and I believe
lived up to it as far as possible, although it is quite true that,
stopping in one day unexpectedly to secure a new crochet pattern, I
smelled broiling steak. But Aggie explained that she merely intended to
use the juice from a small portion, having had one of her weak spells,
the balance to go to the janitor's dog.

However, this is a digression.

"Europe!" said Charlie Sands. "Forget it! What in the name of the
gastric juice is this I'm eating?"

It was a mixture of bran, raisins, and chopped nuts, as I recall it,
moistened with water and pressed into a compact form. It was Tish's own
invention. She called it "Bran-Nut," and was talking of making it in
large quantities for sale.

Charlie Sands gave it up with a feeble gesture. "I'm sorry, Aunt
Letitia," he said at last; "I'm a strong man ordinarily, but by the time
I've got it masticated I'm too weak to swallow it. If--if one could
have a stream of water playing on it while working, it would facilitate
things."

"The Ostermaiers," said Aggie, "are going West."

"Good for the Ostermaiers," said Charlie Sands. "Great idea. See America
first. 'My Country Tish of Thee,' etc. Why don't you three try it?"

Tish relinquished Europe slowly.

"One would think," Charlie Sands said, "that you were a German being
asked to give up Belgium."

"What part of the West?" she demanded. "It's all civilized, isn't it?"

"The Rocky Mountains," said Charlie Sands, "will never be civilized."

Tish broke off a piece of Bran-Nut, and when she thought no one was
looki