es. You see I am recklessly daring to hope that, whichever lot is
chosen, you may be willing to share it with me--as my wife. Elsie, do
you think you could consider the question from that viewpoint?"

And--well--Elsie thought she could.

The consideration--we suppose it was the consideration--took so long
that it was nearly dark when Elsie announced that she simply MUST go. It
was Ralph's duty as a gentleman to help her in putting on her coat, and
this took an astonishingly long time. Finally it was done, however, and
they came downstairs.

"Dearest," said Ralph, after the door was locked, "I forgot to have
another hunt for whatever it was that Captain Eri wanted me to get."

Elsie smiled rather oddly.

"Are you sure you haven't got it?" she asked demurely.

"Got it! Why--why, by George, what a numbskull I am! The old rascal! I
thought there was a twinkle in his eye."

"He said he should come back after me."

"Well, well! Bless his heart, it's sound and sweet all the way through.
Yes, I HAVE got it, and, what's more, I shall tell him that I mean to
keep it."

The gold watches from the people to the heroes of the Orham wreck having
been duly bought and inscribed and the medals struck, there came up the
question of presentation, and it was decided to perform the ceremony in
the Orham town hall, and to make the occasion notable. The Congressman
from the district agreed to make the necessary speech. The Harniss
Cornet Band was to furnish music. All preparations were made, and it
remained only to secure the consent of the parties most interested,
namely, Captain Eri and Luther Davis.

And this was the hardest task of all. Both men at first flatly refused
to be present. The Captain said he might as well go to the dime museum
and be done with it; he was much obliged to the Boston folks, but his
own watch was keeping good time, and he didn't need a new one badly
enough to make a show of himself to get it. Captain Davis said very much
the same.

But Miss Patience was proud of her brother's rise to fame, and didn't
intend to let him forfeit the crowning glory. She enlisted Captain Perez
as a supporter, and together they finally got Luther's unwilling consent
to sit on the platform and be stared at for one evening. Meanwhile,
Captain Jerry, Elsie, Ralph, and Mrs. Snow were doing their best to win
Captain Eri over. When Luther surrendered, the forces joined, and the
Captain threw up his hands.

"All right," he said