seemed to be seeking sociability by bellowing
ferociously, thudding his hard fist on the counter. Mayo was not easily
surprised by the temperamental vagaries of queer old 'longcoast crabs
like Captain Candage, but this sudden conversion did take away his
breath.

"When a close and partickler friend of mine, like this one I've just
introduced, comes to you all polite and asks a favor, I want general
politeness all around or I'll know the reason why," shouted the
intermediary. "Look-a-here, Rowley, you pretend to be a terrible
Christian sort of a man. When I have been fog-bound here I've tended out
on prayer-meetings, and I have heard you holler like a good one about
dying grace and salvation is free. I've never heard you say much about
living charity that costs something!"

"I claim to be a Christian man," faltered Rowley, backing away from the
banging fist.

"Then act like one. If you don't do it, blast your pelt, I'll post you
for a heathen from West Quoddy to Kittery!"

"God bless you, my dad!" whispered the girl, snuggling close to the
skipper's shoulder.

"Furthermore, Rowley, besides paying you a fair rental for that old
fish-house we'll buy grub for them poor devils out of your store."

Mr. Rowley caressed his beard and blinked.

"They're like empty nail-kags, and they'll eat a lot of vittles and
we've got the money to pay!"

"I have a wallet of my own," stated Captain Mayo. He had not recovered
from his amazement at the sudden shift about of Captain Candage. After
all the sullen growling he had been tempted to ask the old skipper to
stop tagging him about on his errand of mercy.

"Hear that, Rowley? This is the best friend I've got in the whole
world! Brought him in here! Introduced him to you! Here's my daughter!
Interested, too! Now, whatever you say, you'd better be sure that you
pick the right words."

"Well, I'm always ready to help friends," stated Mr. Rowley.

"Yes, and do business in a slack time," added Captain Candage.

"I'm willing to show Christian charity to them that's poor and
oppressed. But what's the sense in doing it in this case?"

"A great many folks in this life need a hard jolt before they turn to
and make anything of themselves," said Captain Mayo. "The people on Hue
and Cry have had their jolt. I do believe, with the right advice and
management, they can be made self-supporting. They have been allowed
to run loose until now, sir. I have been pulled into the thing all of
a