time were money, as they say it is," he added, "I should be
a--ah--sort of mint, shouldn't I?" Then he smiled and added: "Why,
no, not exactly that, either. A mint is where they make money and I
certainly do not make time. But I have just as much time as if I did.
Yes--ah--quite so. As our philosophizing friend Zacheus is so fond
of saying, I have 'all the time there is.' And if time IS
money--why--ah.... Eh? Dear me, possibly you ladies know what I am
talking about; _I_ don't."

They both burst out laughing and he smiled and stroked his chin. Martha
looked him over.

"What makes you so nervous, Mr. Bangs?" she asked. He started and
colored. He was a trifle nervous, having a shrewd suspicion as to what
Miss Hallett wished to talk with him about. She promptly confirmed the
suspicion.

"Mr. Bangs," she said, "I am in such trouble. It's about father, as
usual. I'm afraid he is at it again."

"Eh? I beg pardon? Oh, yes, certainly."

Martha shook her head. "He hasn't the slightest idea what you mean,
Lulie," she declared. "That's why he says 'Oh, yes, certainly.' She
means, Mr. Bangs, that Cap'n Jethro is beginnin' to break out with
another attack of Marietta Hoag's spirits, and we've been tryin' to
think of a way to stop him. We haven't yet. Perhaps you can. Can you?"

Lulie went on to explain. Her father had been more gloomy and thoughtful
for the last week or two. She had noticed it and so had Zach. He talked
with her less and less as the days passed, lapsed into silences at
meals, and on nights when he was supposed to be off duty and asleep she
often heard him walking about his room. If she asked him, as, of course,
she often did, what was the matter, if he was not feeling well or if
there was anything troubling him, he only growled a negative or ordered
her not to bother him.

"And when, last Wednesday at supper," she went on, "Zach said something
about the engine for the foghorn not working just as it should, father's
answer showed us both what was in his mind. I had guessed it before and
Zach says he had, but then we knew."

"Tell Mr. Bangs what he said," urged Martha.

"He didn't say so very much, Mr. Bangs, but it was the way he said it.
He glowered at poor Zach, who hadn't said or done anything wrong, and
pulled his beard as he always does. Then he said: 'There's no wonder the
engine's out of kilter. There's no wonder about that. The wonder is
that anything's right aboard here. We've been trying to steer