Abe? You expected somebody else
to supper?"

"Nope. All set. I'm always ready for a messmate; but 'tain't often
one boards me 'cept Cap'n Joab now and then. His woman likes to git
him out from under foot. You see, when a woman's been useter seein'
her husband only 'twixt v'y'ges for forty year, I 'spect 'tis something
of a cross to have him litterin' up the house ev'ry day," he confessed.
"But as I can't leave the shop myself to go visitin' much in return,
Joab acks offish. We Silts was always bred to be hospitable. Poor or
rich, we could share what we had with another. So I keep an extry
plate on the table.

"I've had occasion," pursued the philosophical storekeeper, drawing up
his own chair across the table from the girl, "to be at some folks'
houses at meal time and had 'em ask me to set up and have a bite. But
it never looked to me as if they meant it 'nless there was already an
extry plate there.

"Just like having a spare bedroom. If you can say: 'Stay all night, we
got a room for ye,' then that's what I call hospitality. I wouldn't
live in a house that warn't big enough to have at least one spare room."

"I believe I must be very welcome here, Cap'n Abe," Louise said,
smiling at the kindly old man.

"Land sakes, I sh'd hope ye felt so!" ejaculated Cap'n Abe. "Now, if
you don't mind, Niece Louise." He dropped his head suddenly and closed
his eyes in reverence. "For what we are about to partake of, Lord,
make us duly thankful. Amen!" His countenance became animated again.
"Try them biscuit. I made 'em this morning 'twixt Marcy Coe selectin'
that piece of gingham for a new dress and John Peckham buying cordage
for his smack. But they warmed up right nice in the oven."

Meanwhile he heaped her plate with codfish and fried potatoes cooked to
a delicate brown. There was good butter, fat doughnuts, and beach-plum
preserve. It was a homely meal but Louise ate it graciously. Already
the air of Cardhaven had sharpened her appetite.

"Lend me your apron," insisted the girl when they had finished, "and I
will wash these dishes."

"I us'ally let them go till Betty Gallup comes in the morning," the
storekeeper said rather ruefully. "It don't look right to me that you
should mess with these greasy dishes jest as we get under way, as ye
might say."

"You must not make company of me, Cap'n Abe," Louise declared. "There,
I hear a customer in the store," and she gave him a little pat on the
shoul