as just in time to see her unlock the closet door, and poor Mell
tumble out, tear-stained, white, frightened almost out of her wits. She
clutched her step-mother's dress with both hands.

"Oh, don't make me go in there again!" she pleaded. "I will be good.
I'll never meddle with the things in the chest any more. There are mice
in there, hundreds of 'em; they'll run all over me; they'll eat me up.
Oh, _don't_ make me go in there again!"

"Why, it's my little Mell!" cried the amazed Captain. "Shiver my
timbers! what does this mean?" He lifted Mell into his arms and looked
sternly at his wife.

"She's been a _very_ naughty girl," said Mrs. Davis, trying to speak
boldly. "So naughty that I had to shut her up. Stop crying so, Mell. I
forgive you now. I hope you'll never be so bad again."

"Oh, may I come out?" sobbed Mell, clinging to her father's neck. "You
said I must stay a week, but I couldn't do that, the mice would kill me.
Mice are so awful!" She shuddered with horror as she spoke.

"This ain't a pleasant welcome for a man just in from sea," remarked
Captain Davis.

Mrs. Davis explained and tried to smooth the matter over, but the
Captain continued very sober all that evening. Mell thought it was
because he was angry with her, but her step-mother knew very well that
she also was in disgrace. The truth was that the Captain was thinking
what to do. He was not a man of many words, but he felt that affairs at
home must go very wrong when he was away, and that such a state of
things was bad for his wife, and very bad for Mell.

So in a day or two he went off to Cape Cod, "to see his old mother," as
he said, in reality to consult her as to what should be done. When he
came back, he asked Mell how she would like to go and live with
Grandmother and be her little girl.

"Will she shut me up in closets?" asked Mell apprehensively.

"No, she'll be very kind to you if you are a good girl. Grandma's an old
lady now. She wants a handy child about the house to help, and sort of
pet and make much of."

"I--guess--I'll--like--it," said Mell slowly. "It's a good way from
here, isn't it?"

"Yes,--a good way."

Mell nodded her head in a satisfied manner. "_She'll_ not often come
there," she thought. "She" meant Mrs. Davis.

Mrs. Davis was unusually pleasant for the few remaining days which Mell
spent at home. I do not think she had ever meant to treat Mell unkindly,
but she had a hot temper, and the care of five unruly ch