hbors began to appall her. If Cape Cod folk were, as her
daddy-professor had declared, "the salt of the earth," some of the salt
seemed to have lost its savor.

"We were talking about Cap'n Abe," said Louise severely. "Just as he
had his own good reasons for going away when and how he did, he
probably had his reasons for taking nobody into his confidence. This
Perry Baker, the expressman, must know that Cap'n Abe sent the trunk
from the house, here."

"Humph! Yes! Nobody's denyin' that."

"Then Cap'n Abe must have known exactly what he wished to do. Cap'n
Amazon surely had nothing to do with the chest, with how his brother
took the train, or with _where_ he took it. Really, Betty, what do you
suspect Cap'n Amazon has done?"

"I don't know what he's done," snapped Betty. "But I wouldn't put
nothin' past him, from his looks. The old pirate!"

"You will make me feel very bad if you continue to talk this way about
my Uncle Amazon," said the girl, far from feeling amused now. "It is
not right. I hope you will not continue to repeat such things. If you
do you will some time be sorry for it, Betty."

"Humph!" sniffed the woman. "Mebbe I will. But I'm warnin' you, Miss
Grayling."

"Warning me of what?"

"Of that man. That old sinner! I never see a wickeder looking feller
in my life--and I've sailed with my father and my husband to 'most
ev'ry quarter of the globe. He may be twin brother to the Angel
Gabriel; but if he is, his looks belie it!"

There was nothing in all this of enough consequence to disturb the
girl, only in so far as she was vexed to find the neighbors so gossipy
and unkind. She gazed thoughtfully upon Cap'n Amazon as he sat across
from her at the breakfast table, and wondered how anybody could see in
his bronzed face anything sinister.

That he was rather ridiculously gotten up, it was true. Those gold
earrings! But then, she had seen several of the older men about the
store wearing rings in their ears. If he did not always have that
bright-colored kerchief on his head! But then, he might wear that
because he was susceptible to neuralgia and did not wish to wear a hat
all the time as seemed to have been Cap'n Abe's custom.

When he smiled at her and his eyes crinkled at the corners, he was as
kindly of expression, she thought, as Cap'n Abe himself. And he was a
much better looking man than the brother who had gone away.

"Cap'n Amazon," she said to him, "I believe you must