ssistance. By the agency of Mr. Gar'ner, as the young mate was then
termed, sundry palms, sets of sail-needles, a fid or two, and various
other similar articles, that obviously could no longer be of any use to
Daggett, were sent across to the 'Harbour,' and disposed of there, to
advantage, among the many seamen of the port. By these means the stranger
was, for a few weeks, enabled to pay his way, the board he got being both
poor and cheap.

A much better result attended this intercourse with Gardiner, than that of
raising the worn-out seaman's immediate ways and means. Between Mary Pratt
and Roswell Gardiner there existed an intimacy of long standing for their
years, as well as of some peculiar features, to which there will be
occasion to advert hereafter. Mary was the very soul of charity in all its
significations, and this Gardiner knew. When, therefore, Daggett became
really necessitous, in the way of comforts that even money could not
command beneath the roof of the Widow White, the young man let the fact be
known to the deacon's niece, who immediately provided sundry delicacies
that were acceptable to the palate of even disease. As for her uncle,
nothing was at first said to him on the subject. Although his intimacy
with Daggett went on increasing, and they were daily more and more
together, in long and secret conference, not a suggestion was ever made by
the deacon in the way of contributing to his new friend's comforts. To own
the truth, to give was the last idea that ever occurred to this man's
thoughts.

Mary Pratt was observant, and of a mind so constituted, that its
observations usually led her to safe and accurate deductions. Great was
the surprise of all on the Point when it became known that Deacon Pratt
had purchased and put into the water, the new sea-going craft that was
building on speculation, at Southold. Not only had he done this, but he
had actually bought some half-worn copper, and had it placed on the
schooner's bottom, as high as the bends, ere he had her launched. While
the whole neighbourhood was "exercised" with conjectures on the motive
which could induce the deacon to become a ship-owner in his age, Mary did
not fail to impute it to some secret but powerful influence, that the sick
stranger had obtained over him. He now spent nearly half his time in
private communications with Daggett; and, on more than one occasion, when
the niece had taken some light article of food over for the use of th