ter of an hour's brisk walk brought him to the house, and he shook
the rain from his cap as he knocked gently at the door. It was opened by
a man, who, standing with his hand on the lock regarded him inquiringly.

"Mrs. Gething in?" asked the skipper.

"No, she's not just at present," said the other.

"I'll come in and wait for her if you don't mind," said the skipper,
speaking on the spur of the moment.

The other hesitated, and then standing aside to allow him to pass,
closed the door, and they entered the small parlor together. The
skipper, with a courage which surprised himself, took a chair uninvited
and began to wipe his trousers with his handkerchief.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Gething will be a long time," said the other man at
last.

"I'll give her a few minutes," said the skipper, who would have sat
there a week with pleasure.

He rubbed his moustache and beard with his handkerchief and put them
into shape with his fingers. The other man regarded these operations
with an unfavorable eye, and watched him uneasily.

"No message you could leave for Mrs. Gething," he suggested, after a
quarter of an hour.

The skipper shook his head, and in his turn took stock of the other
man--a good-looking fellow with a waxed black moustache, a light silk
tie and a massive scarf-pin. A frock-coat hung about his knees, and
shoes of the lightest brown called attention to his small feet.

Another quarter of an hour passed. "Wet day," said the skipper, by way
of starting the conversation again.

The other assented, and remarked that he thought it very probable
that the wet would prevent Mrs. Gething from returning, whereupon
conversation languished until the sound of hurried footsteps outside,
and the turning of a key in the latch, made them both look up.

"Here she is," said the skipper softly.

The other man said nothing, feeling possibly that the entrance of Miss
Gething was sufficient refutation of the statement. He was also in
anything but a talkative mood.

"Mother not in?" said Miss Gething in surprise as she entered the room.
"How good of you to wait, captain."

"Oh, it's no trouble," said the skipper, who really thought that there
was no credit due to him for his action.

She shook hands with the other man and smiled at the skipper. "I've seen
you before," she said, "and it is good of you to wait. I'm sure you're
very wet. This is Mr. Glover, Captain Wilson."

The two gentlemen glared their acknowledgments, and