"NOLL TRAFFORD.

"--And don't mind what Mr. Gray says, please, and only do as you like."

Richard Trafford finished this letter with something like a grim smile
on his lips.

"The boy has got the true Trafford spirit," he said to himself, "and
some of Brother Noll's gentleness, I fancy. Ah, Noll was always a
happier man than I!"

He read the boy's letter again, wondering what made it seem so bright
and pleasant, and feeling vexed with himself for doing it. Why should
he care for this boy or this boy's letter? Had he not fled to Culm
Rock to escape all knowledge of what was transpiring in the world
without,--to forget friends and kin, if that was possible? He looked
up and met the sweet, grave eyes of his wife looking down into his,
and read something there which made his eyes fill and his lip quiver.

"Ah," he sighed, "why did I not try to follow after?" And with this
thought in his heart, he rose and stood by the window, looking down at
the crawling tide. His thoughts came back to the boy, presently, and
with another grim smile upon his face, he remembered what a dull and
dreary place Culm Rock would be for a lad of fourteen. He would soon
tire of it, and be glad enough to go back to Hastings, he fancied. If
he was a wild boy, he should go back on the return of the "White
Gull;" if he could be tolerated, he might stay till he tired of it. It
was poor Brother Noll's boy, after all, he thought, and he could not
make his heart quite hard enough to refuse him a home. So, when
Skipper Ben returned to Hastings with his next cargo of fish, he
carried a letter hidden away under his pea-jacket, and this was what
it contained:--

"CULM ROCK, Sept. 12th.

"_To Noll Trafford_:

"Come; you are welcome.

"UNCLE RICHARD."

CHAPTER III.

ON THE "WHITE GULL."

The breeze was crisp and fresh that morning, and the skipper anxious
to set sail. Everything was in readiness on board the "White Gull,"
but still its master did not give the word to cast off, and stumped up
and down the deck, muttering and grumbling to his mate.

"Allus jes' so!" he said, wrathfully; "these town folks never up to
time. Think on't, Jack, that 'ere lawyer, Gray, promised to get the
youngster here a good half-hour afore sunrise! Here it's sun-up
already, and this breeze won't last forever, nuther."

"Why don't ye go 'long 'thout him?" queried Jac