uise and Lawford Tapp.
His absence, which she had believed so fortunate, soon proved to be
merely provocative of her niece's interest in the heir of the Taffy
King.

Nor could she wean Louise from association with the piratical looking
mariner at Cap'n Abe's store. The girl utterly refused to be guided by
the older woman in either of these particulars.

"You are a reckless, abandoned girl!" Aunt Euphemia declared. "I am
sure, no matter what others may say, that awful sailor is no fit
companion for you.

"And as, for Lawford Tapp----Why, his people are impossible, Louise.
Wherever you have your establishment, if you marry him, his people,
when they visit you will have to be apologized for," the indignant
woman continued.

"Let--me--see," murmured Louise. "How large an 'establishment' should
you think, auntie, we could keep up on eighteen dollars a week?"

"Eighteen dollars a week!" exclaimed Aunt Euphemia, aghast.

"Yes. That is Lawford's present salary. Wages, I think they call it
at the factory. He gets it in cash--in a pay envelope."

"Mercy, Louise! You are not in earnest?"

"Certainly. My young man is going to earn our living. If he marries
me his father will cut him off with the proverbial shilling. I. Tapp
has other matrimonial plans for Lawford."

"What?" gasped the horrified Mrs. Conroth. "He does not approve of
you?"

"Too true, auntie. I have driven poor Lawford to work in a candy
factory."

"That--that upstart!" exploded the lady. But she did not refer to
Lawford.

It was evident that Aunt Euphemia saw nothing but the threat of storm
clouds for her niece in the offing. Trouble, deep and black, seemed,
to her mind to be hovering upon the horizon of the future,

As it chanced, the weather about this time seemed to reflect Aunt
Euphemia's mood. The summer had passed with but few brief tempests.
Seldom had Louise seen any phase of the sea in its wrath.

September, however, is an uncertain month at best. For several days a
threatening haze shrouded the distant sea line. The kildees, fluttered
and shrieked over the booming surf.

Washy Gallup, meeting Louise as she strolled on the beach,
prognosticated:

"Shouldn't be surprised none, Miss Lou, if we had a spell of weather.
Mebbe we'll have an airly equinoctooral. We sometimes do.

"Then ye'll hear the sea sing psalms, as the feller said, an' no
mistake. Them there picture folks'll mebbe git a show at a re'l storm.
That's w