h is given to sailors for their
protection at sea, hailed her.

"You needn't hurry home," he told her; "that Betty child don't want you.
Dr. Blake is there. That's his car."

"He was there yesterday," said Miss Matthews, disturbed by the doctor's
departure from his usual routine.

"And he'll probably be there to-morrow; he's getting sweet on that Betty
child, Miss Mattie."

"Oh, dear, no," said the shocked Miss Matthews. "Why, he's in love with
Diana Gregory."

The captain gazed at her blankly. "You don't mean it," he protested.

"Yes, I do," said Miss Matthews; "they've known each other all their
lives. But she doesn't want to settle down."

"Well, she'd better look out," said the little captain; "men won't wait
forever."

"Men like Anthony Blake," returned Miss Matthews with conviction, "will.
And as for Bettina, she's nothing but a child!"

The little captain carried the conversation over, tactfully, to his
favorite topic. "I want you and that Betty child to go with me for a
day's fishin' soon," he said; "you just name the day."

Little Miss Matthews hated the sea, with the hatred of a woman whose
ancestors had made their living on the Banks and had been drowned in
storms. But she liked the captain. "I am sure you are very kind," she
said, primly, "but it will have to be Saturday when there isn't any
school."

"All right," said the captain,--"make it a week from Saturday, and we'll
probably have clearing weather."

The doctor, going down, met little Miss Matthews. Bettina, leaning over
the rail, greeted the little lady somewhat self-consciously. "I'll make
your tea in a minute," she said; "the doctor didn't want any."

When Anthony reached the bottom of the stair, he looked up. The faint
light of the lantern drew a circle of radiance about Bettina's head.

"Wait," she called softly, and came down to him, and in the darkness
whispered that she was happy, so very happy--and would she see him soon?

"To-morrow," he promised, and went away with his pulses pounding.

All the way home he thought of her. She had been charming. He felt like
an adventuring knight, who, having killed all the dragons, rescues the
captive princess from her tower. She was a dear child. A dear--child.

At the sanatorium he had a bath and a good dinner, and made his rounds.
One little woman, when he had passed, spoke to another of his smile. "It
is as if he were happy in his heart," she said, quaintly; "before this
his eyes hav