he know how to behave
himself!"

She turned back and looked out across the Sound. The mainland showed dim
through the haze of the Indian Summer morning.

"Beth, I hate to see you worrying like this," said the Captain, a tremor
in his voice. "I wish I could help you, I sartin wish I could."

She came to him, and laying her hand lightly on his sleeve, looked
eagerly into his eyes.

"You dear old Uncle! Please, forgive me for telling you all I have. I am
worried, dreadfully worried, about Father. He is so different of late.
He takes everything so seriously where Mr. McGowan is concerned. He is
not at all like himself. I'm afraid something dreadful will happen to
him if things do not right themselves very soon."

"Now, don't you worry, Beth. Just you be patient. I cal'late there is
something wrong, but there ain't no channel so long that it ain't got an
outlet of some sort, and the rougher 'tis, the shorter it's li'ble to
be. We're going to get out, you bank on that, and when we do, your daddy
is going to be aboard."

"Thank you, Uncle Josiah. I'm ready now to go ashore."

The look of relief on her beautiful face, as the tears of gratitude
filled her eyes, caused the Captain to swallow very hard, and to draw
the back of his hand across his eyes, remarking that the smoke was
getting into them. He was unmindful that his pipe had gone out long
ago.

On his way home the skipper became uncomfortably aware of the
seriousness of his promise to the Elder's daughter. He had pledged
himself and his support indirectly to Jim Fox! What that might mean he
could not foresee. He remembered what Elizabeth had told him concerning
her father's condition, and this set a new train of thought going
through his brain. He recalled that there had always been times since
Jim Fox had first come to Little River when he had seemed dejected and
melancholy. Could it be possible that there had been some physical
disease working all these years in the Elder's body, and might that not
be an explanation for the mental state into which he seemed to be
heading? Might that not be the reason for his strange actions against
the minister and himself?

Captain Pott entered the dining-room just as Miss Pipkin emerged from
the minister's study. She was carrying a large crock. The seaman looked
intently at the bowl.

"There was a mite too much pepper in that basin, Josiah. I was that
excited about his ankle that I didn't notice how much I was putting in