ve done, A. A., was to build a hotel or something like that. If we had
a hotel here, there'd be so blamed many weddings you couldn't keep track
of 'em. That's the only thing that's holding people back. Why, half
the unmarried fellers here are thinking about getting married. They're
thinking, and thinking, and thinking, morning, noon and night. And
they've got the girls thinking, too,--and most of the widders and old
maids besides. I don't see how a smart feller like you, A. A., happened
to overlook the possibility of just this kind of thing happening."

"Good Lord, what have I got to do with it?"

"Why, darn it all, you'd ought to have put up a few huts with 'For Rent'
signs on 'em, or else--"

"By George, Buck! I've got it," cried Percival excitedly. "Have you
thought of a wedding journey?"

"A what?"

"Wedding trip,--honeymoon."

"Well, we might walk up and down the main street here a coupla times,"
said Buck sarcastically. "Or take a stroll along the beach or something
like that."

"What's the matter with a nice long sea voyage?"

"Say, I'm not kidding about this thing," exclaimed Mr. Chizler,
bristling. "I'm in dead earnest."

"Has it occured to you that the Doraine is lying out there in the
harbour--Here! Look out! I don't like being hugged by--"

"My gosh, A. A! Oh, my gosh!" barked the ecstatic bridegroom-apparent.
"How did you happen to think of such a beautiful, wonderful--"

"How did I happen to think of it?" shouted Percival, just as
ecstatically. "Why, darn your eyes, why shouldn't I think of it? Why did
old Noah think of the Ark? Why, I ask you?"

"He didn't," said Buck succinctly. "The feller that wrote the Bible
thought of it."

"What time is it? Oh, Lord, nearly three hours yet before school is
out."

"Say, are you off your base,--lemme smell your breath. You act
like--Wait a second! There's something else I want to speak to you
about. Is it--is it all right for me to get married? She says I'll have
to get your O. K. before she'll move an inch. She says nobody can do
anything around here without you say so. So I--"

"You tell her I give my consent gladly, Buck, my boy. Give her a good
kiss for me, and say I'll speak to Captain Trigger this afternoon about
passage on the Doraine. By George, I--I think I'll go and speak to him
about it now."

"Much obliged, boss. By gosh, you are a brick. There ain't anything you
won't do for a friend, is there?"

Percival blushed and stammered. "I--