o, I ain't going to get down on my old
prayer-bones, they're a mite too squeaky, though I'd be willing enough
to do it if I thought it would do any good. I ain't going to pester you
any more about that. You know your mind, and it ain't right for me to be
disturbing it at my time of life."

"Then, Josiah, if you ain't love-sick, what is it?"

"Maybe that's a part of what's ailing me. But what I want you to say
this morning is that you ain't got nothing against me for what I said
yesterday about you taking to sea in my dory."

"Josiah, that was awful foolish in me. You'd best forgive me, too, for
the way I acted."

"Thanks, Clemmie. You've sartinly done me many a good turn, and it would
be a wonder if I wa'n't in love with you. You've always been mighty good
and kind to me. But, there, don't you get excited again, I ain't going
to say nothing more about it."

"Tell me about your trouble, Josiah."

The old seaman pulled hard at the ends of his ragged moustache, and his
voice grew husky. "I felt just like I had to tell somebody. I was going
to tell Mack last night when I see a light in his study, but when I went
in I see he had all he could tote, so I just went on up to my room
without telling him.... You know I've been out of a job for quite a
spell."

"It has been long for you," nodded Miss Pipkin as she drew another chair
opposite. "But you've got the church to look after."

"That ain't my trade, and it comes hard. I feel all the time like I'd
clumb onto the wrong deck. I'd hoped to get a ship afore now. Jim
promised me one, and----"

"Do you mean you've been expecting to get a ship through Jim Fox? Why,
Josiah Pott! He'd not give you a splinter to hang on if you was
drowning. Depending on him! Pooh! I thought you had more sense than
that."

"But I ain't. I'm just what I've told you afore, an old fool. I cal'late
I know how you feel about Jim. I'd always felt that way, too, till he
come honeying round me this spring. You called me once an old fool with
good intentions. I cal'late you ain't far off in your soundings."

"I never said that!" she rejoined. "Anyhow, I didn't mean it like
that."

"You don't need to excuse what you said. It's God's truth. That's
exactly what I be."

"You ain't, neither, and I don't see why you want to talk that way. What
I don't see, neither, is why you want to go hanging round, waiting for
that man to give you a ship. There's plenty of others that would be glad
to get you."