ess. Many little
things had marred the fair course of the _Seamew_ and her captain's
business. He, however, shook his head.

"Not that pretty girl yonder," he said, "has brought bad luck to the
_Seamew_. No, no!"

"What, then?" asked Eunez, staring sidewise at him from eyes which
seemed almost green.

"See!" said Johnny, seizing her wrist. "If the _Seamew_ is a Jonahed
schooner, it is because of something different. Yes!"

"Bah!" cried Eunez, yet with continued eagerness. "Tell me what it
may be if it is not that girl with the evil eye?"

"Ask 'Rion Latham," whispered Johnny. "You know him--huh?"

The Portygee girl looked for a moment rather taken aback. Then she
said, tossing her head:

"What if I do know 'Rion?"

"Ask him," repeated Johnny Lark. "He is cousin of our captain. He
knows--if anybody knows--what is the trouble with the _Seamew_." And
he shook his head.

Eunez stared at him.

"You know something you do not tell me, Juan?"

"Ask 'Rion Latham," the cook said again, and left her at the door of
the church.

* * * * *

Those swains who had been "cluttering the course"--to quote Cap'n
Ira--did not interfere in any way with the Balls' equipage on this
Sunday at the church. There was none who seemed bold enough to
enter the lists with Tunis Latham. He put Queenie in the shed and
backed her out again and brought her around to the door when the
service was ended without having to fight for the privilege.

'Rion Latham, however, was the center of a group of young fellows
who were all glad to secure a smile and bow from the girl, but who
only sheepishly grinned at Tunis. 'Rion was not smiling; there was a
settled scowl upon his ugly face.

"I cal'late," said Cap'n Ira, as they drove away, "that 'Rion must
have eat sour pickles for breakfast to-day and nothing much else.
Yet he seemed perky enough last night at the sociable. I wonder
what's got into him."

"I'd like to get something out of him," growled Tunis, to whom the
remark was addressed.

"What's that?"

"Some work, for one thing," said the captain of the _Seamew_. "He's
as lazy a fellow as I ever saw. And his tongue's too long."

"Trouble is," Cap'n Ira rejoined, "these trips you take in the
schooner are too short to give you any chance to lick your crew into
shape. They get back home too often. Too much shore leave, if ye ask
me."

"I'd lose Mason Chapin if the _Seamew_ made longer voyages. And I
have