him--and me afloat and
comf'table. Thankful, will you?"

Thankful was still looking at him. He would have spoken again, but she
raised her hand and motioned him to silence.

"Obed," she asked, after a moment, "what made you say this to me?"

"What made me say it? What kept me still so long, you ought to ask.
Haven't I come to think more and more of you ever since I knew you?
Haven't I been more and more sorry for you? And pitied you? I--"

She raised her hand again. "I see," she said, slowly. "I see. Thank
you, Obed. You're so kind and self-sacrificin' you'd do anything or say
anything to help a--friend, wouldn't you? But of course you can't do
this."

"Can't? Why can't I? Self-sacrifice be hanged! Thankful, can't you
see--"

"Yes. Oh yes. I can see. . . . Now let's talk about Jedediah. Do you
think--"

"Jedediah be keelhauled! Will you marry me, Thankful Barnes?"

"Why no, Obed; of course I won't."

"You won't? Why not?"

"Because--well, because I--I can't. There, there, Obed! Please don't ask
me again. Please don't!"

Captain Obed did not ask. He did not speak again for what, to Mrs.
Barnes, seemed a long, long time. At length she could bear it no longer.

"PLEASE, Obed," she begged.

The captain slowly shook his head. Then he laughed a short, mirthless
laugh.

"What an old fool I am!" he muttered. "What an old fool!"

"Obed, don't talk so! Don't! Do you want to make
this--everything--harder for me?"

He straightened and squared his shoulders.

"Thank you, Thankful," he said, earnestly. "Thank you for sayin' that.
That's the way to talk to me. I know I'm an old fool, but I won't be any
more, if I can help it. Make it harder for you? I guess not!"

"Obed, I'm so sorry."

"Sho! sho! You needn't be. . . . I'm all right. I've been dreamin'
foolish dreams, like a young feller after a church picnic dinner, but
I'm awake now. Yes'm, I'm awake. Now just you forget that I talked in my
sleep. Forget the whole of it and let's get back to--to that brother of
yours. We've got to locate him, that's the first thing to be done. I'll
send a telegram right off to that Kelly man out in 'Frisco askin' if
what's-his-name--Jedediah--is there yet."

"Obed, you won't--you won't feel hard towards me? You won't
let--this--interfere with our friendship?"

"Sho! Hush, hush, Thankful! You make me more ashamed of myself than
ever, and that ain't necessary. Now the first thing is to send that
telegram. If we locate you