eople,
but he was not accustomed to be sworn at. He, too, began to "heat
up." He rose to his feet.

"That'll do, Babbitt," he commanded. "What's the matter with you?
Is it me you're cussin'? Because if it is--"

The little Babbitt eyes snapped defiance.

"If it is, what?" he demanded. But before the captain could reply
Winslow, turning away from the window, did so for him.

"If it is, I should say 'twas a pretty complete job," he drawled.
"I don't know when I've heard fewer things left out. You have
reason to be proud, both of you. And now, Phineas," he went on,
"what's it all about? What's the matter?"

Mr. Babbitt waved his fists again, preparatory to another outburst.
Jed laid a big hand on his shoulder.

"Don't seem to me time for the benediction yet, Phineas," he said.
"Ought to preach your sermon or sing a hymn first, seems so. What
did you come here for?"

Phineas Babbitt's hard gray eyes looked up into the big brown ones
gazing mildly down upon him. His gaze shifted and his tone when he
next spoke was a trifle less savage.

"He knows well enough what I came here for," he growled, indicating
Hunniwell with a jerk of his thumb. "He knows that just as well as
he knows why he had himself put on that Exemption Board."

"I didn't have myself put there," declared the captain. "The job
was wished on me. Lord knows I didn't want it. I was just tellin'
Jed here that very thing."

"Wished on you nothin'! You planned to get it and you worked to
get it and I know why you did it, too. 'Twas to get another crack
at me. 'Twas to play another dirty trick on me like the one you
played that cheated me out of the post office. You knew they'd
drafted my boy and you wanted to make sure he didn't get clear.
You--"

"That'll do!" Captain Hunniwell seized him by the shoulder.
"That's enough," cried the captain. "Your boy had nothin' to do
with it. I never thought of his name bein' drawn when I said I'd
accept the job."

"You lie!"

"WHAT? Why, you little sawed-off, dried-up, sassy son of a sea
cook! I'll--"

Winslow's lanky form was interposed between the pair; and his slow,
gentle drawl made itself heard.

"I'm sorry to interrupt the experience meetin'," he said, "but I'VE
got a call to testify and I feel the spirit aworkin'. Set down
again, Sam, will you please. Phineas, you set down over there.
Please set down, both of you. Sam, as a favor to me--"

But the captain was not in a favor-e