ome other way to bring them together before things get
worse."

"Beth, I'd like to accommodate you, if that's what you're asking of me,
but if Mack McGowan had chosen any other way than the one he took, I'd
cut him adrift, sartin as death."

The seaman felt the girl at his side stiffen and tremble against his arm
as she turned from him. Despair seized him.

"Forgive me, Beth, for making you cry like that. I ain't nothing but a
rough old sailor, and can't say things as they'd otter be said. Come, it
ain't wuth crying over. What I meant was that I'd have disowned him,
because I'd have known he was going contrary-wise to what he thought was
right."

She trembled more violently than before. Too miserable for words, he
seized her and turned her about. He was amazed to find no tears in her
eyes.

"I wasn't crying," she choked, drawing the corner of her handkerchief
from her mouth. "It struck me so funny, Uncle Josiah!"

"Your notion of fun is the funniest I ever see," he commented. "Mind
telling me what it was that tickled you so?"

"You! Captain Josiah Pott! Threatening to disown the minister should he
fail to toe your chalk-line! Where, may I ask, can one find a more
high-handed tyranny of spurned authority than that? It's too funny for
words!"

"I cal'late you'd do some disowning, too, if he'd go traipsing round
asking everybody's pardon just because he steps on a few toes now and
again."

"I disown him?" she asked, not able to check the rush of color to her
cheeks. "Pray tell! Why----"

[Illustration: "Now, see here, Beth, there ain't no use of your
pretending to me."--_Page 146._]

"Now, see here, Beth, there ain't no use of your pretending to me. I've
got a pair of eyes, and I make use of 'em. You wouldn't want him a mite
different, and if he was, you'd be as disapp'inted as me. I know what
I'm talking about," he declared, holding up his pipe with a convincing
gesture. "All that he's done is as religious to him as preaching a
sermon, even that fight down to the Inn. It was a heap sight more
religious than a lot of sermons I've listened to in my day."

"But, Uncle Josiah, don't you think his methods are a little too
strenuous and out of the ordinary in dealing with spiritual derelicts?"
she asked, trying hard to hide the pride which the Captain's observation
had wakened.

"I ain't got much of an idea what you mean by spiritual derricks, Beth,
but I'm going to say this: he's the fust real live preacher I