see her face," said Hugh abstractedly.

"That's so, too! When she heard you coming back that time, she ran like
a kildee." The narrator checked a laugh. "How's mom-a? Oh, she's well or
you'd have told me. I just can't imagine mom-a any way but well." But
again the tone betrayed incertitude.

"Yes, she's well," said the youth. "So is my father."

"Where is he?"

Hugh's queer solemnity deepened. "He's down in a stateroom with your
brothers. The senator and the general have just joined them."

What a freshet of grave information! Ramsey laughed straight at him.
"You talk like a trance medium."

"Not at all."

"You do! I heard one once. You're in a trance now."

"Not at all."

"You are! Y'always are." When Hugh laughed, her laugh redoubled. The
mate and the players, though busy talking, took time to smile; the mate
winked an eye. Suddenly Ramsey sobered. "Is Basile in hot water again?
Tell me quick."

"Tell me first," said Hugh, "why his two brothers----"

"Are so wild? Because pop-a won't allow mom-a to hold them in. Pop-a
says: 'Oh, let 'em sow their wild oats early, like me; so deep they'll
never come up.' Oh, my! they're up now."

"I wasn't going to ask that."

"Well, I can't tell if you don't ask."

"Why do they keep themselves so apart from you?"

"Me? Oh, they just can't stand me!--nor even mom-a."

"That's bad, for all of us."

"All of--who? Oh!... Humph!... Oh, but it's worse for Basile! He goes
with them till he's sick of 'em, then tries mom-a and me till he's just
as sick of--of me--and himself--and then strays off to whoever he can
pick up with!"

"This time," said Hugh, "he's been picked up."

"Oh, _now_ what's happened?"

"He sickened of those boys and girls he was selling tickets with and to
drown yesterday's recollections he took a hand at cards with two
strangers."

Ramsey caught her breath but then laughed joyously. "He couldn't! He had
no money!"

"Except from his sale of tickets."

"Oh!" Her tears started. "Oh, where was mammy Joy?"

"Nursing the sick."

"The new--?" She barely escaped breaking her word. "Oh," she moaned, "he
didn't use _that_ money?"

"He lost it. He was wild to play on and recover it, and his brothers
were as eager to have him do it."

"Why, _they_ couldn't help him. They tried, yesterday, to borrow from
mom-a.... Wait." The last word came softly. The Gilmores and the mate
drew near to see the _Antelope_ overtaken. There she loomed, out on the
sta