the audience; but the
moment Ford paused for breath his mother said,--

"Are you sure the black boy was not hurt, Ford?"

"Hurt, mother? Why, he seems to be a kind of black-fish. The rest all
know him, and they went right past my hook to his, all the while."

"Dear me!" exclaimed Mrs. Foster: "I forgot. Annie, this is Ford's
friend Dabney Kinzer, our neighbor."

"Won't you shake hands with me, Mr. Kinzer?" said Annie, with a
malicious twinkle of fun in her merry blue eyes.

Poor Dabney! He had been in quite a "state of mind" for at least three
minutes; but he would hardly have been his own mother's son if he had
let himself be entirely "posed." Up rose his long right arm, with the
heavy string of fish at the end of it; and Annie's fun broke out into a
musical laugh, just as her brother exclaimed,--

"There now, I'd like to see the other boy of your size can do that. Look
here, Dab, where'd you get your training?"

"I mustn't drop the fish, you see," began Dab; but Ford interrupted him
with,--

'No, indeed! You've given me half I've got, as it is. Annie, have you
looked at the crabs? You ought to have seen Dick Lee, with a lot of 'em
gripping in his hair."

"In his hair?"

"When he was down through the bottom of his boat. They'd have eaten him
up if they'd had a chance. You see, he's no shell on him."

"Exactly," said Annie, as Dab lowered his fish. "Well, Dabney, I wish
you would thank your mother for me, for sending my trunk over. Your
sisters too. I've no doubt we shall be very neighborly."

It was wonderfully pleasant to be called by his first name by so very
pretty a young lady, and yet it seemed to bring up something curious
into Dabney Kinzer's throat.

"She considers me a mere boy, and she means I'd better take my fish
right home," was the next thought that came to him; and he was right, to
a fraction. So the great lump in his throat took a very wayward and
boyish form, and came out as a reply, accompanied by a low bow,--

"I will, thank you. Good-afternoon, Mrs. Foster. I'll see you to-night,
Ford, about Monday and the yacht. Good-afternoon, Annie."

And then he marched out with his fish.

"Mother, did you hear him call me 'Annie'?"

"Yes; and I heard you call him 'Dabney.'"

"But he's only a boy "--

"I don't care," exclaimed Ford. "He's an odd fellow, but he's a good
one. Did you see how wonderfully strong he is in his arms? I couldn't
lift these fish at arm's-length, to save my life."