but if you should happen to come down for Bert to-morrow night--"

The girl's eyes grew mirthful and her lips trembled. "Thank you," she
said.

"Some people like looking over cabins," murmured the skipper.

He raised his hand to his cap and turned away. The mate, who had just
come on deck, stared after the retreating couple and gave vent to a low
whistle.

"What a fine gal to pick up with Slushy," he remarked.

"It's his sister," said the skipper, somewhat sharply.

"The one that taught him to cook?" said the other, hastily. "Here! I'd
like five minutes alone with her; I'd give 'er a piece o' my mind that
'ud do her good. I'd learn 'er. I'd tell her wot I thought of her."

"That'll do," said the skipper; "that'll do. He's not so bad for a
beginner; I've known worse."

"Not so bad?" repeated the mate. "Not so bad? Why"--his voice
trembled--"ain't you going to give 'im the chuck, then?"

"I shall try him for another vy'ge, George," said the skipper. "It's
hard lines on a youngster if he don't have a chance. I was never one to
be severe. Live and let live, that's my motto. Do as you'd be done by."

"You're turning soft-'arted in your old age," grumbled the mate.

"Old age!" said the other, in a startled voice, "Old age! I'm not
thirty-seven yet."

"You're getting on," said the mate; "besides, you look old."

The skipper investigated the charge in the cabin looking-glass ten
minutes later. He twisted his beard in his hand and tried to imagine
how he would look without it. As a compromise he went out and had it cut
short and trimmed to a point. The glass smiled approval on his return;
the mate smiled too, and, being caught in the act, said it made him look
like his own grandson.

[Illustration: The mate smiled too 046]

It was late when the cook returned, but the skipper was on deck, and,
stopping him for a match, entered into a little conversation. Mr.
Jewell, surprised at first, soon became at his ease, and, the talk
drifting in some unknown fashion to Miss Jewell, discussed her with
brotherly frankness.

"You spent the evening together, I s'pose?" said the skipper,
carelessly.

Mr. Jewell glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Cooking," he
said, and put his hand over his mouth with some suddenness.

By the time they parted the skipper had his hand in a friendly fashion
on the cook's shoulder, and was displaying an interest in his welfare
as unusual as it was gratifying. So unaccustomed was Mr.