hat of the
thicket and that of the veil; she could not, she would not have three.
So, commending herself to all the saints, she embarked.

"Look here, Carrington, if ever you inveigle me into such danger again
for a mere fool's fancy, I will show you what I think of it. You knew
the condition of that boat, and I did not," said Keith sternly as the
two men stood at last on the beach in front of the light-house. The
Sister had gone within, glad to feel land underfoot once more. She had
sat quietly in her place all the way, afraid of the water, of the wind,
of everything, but entirely unconscious of the real danger that menaced
them. For the little craft would not mind her helm; her mast slipped
about erratically; the planking at the bow seemed about to give way
altogether; and they were on a lee shore, with the tide coming in, and
the surf beating roughly on the beach. They were both good sailors, but
it had taken all they knew to bring the boat safely to the lighthouse.

"To tell the truth, I did not think she was so crippled," said
Carrington. "She really is a good boat for her size."

"Very," said Keith sarcastically.

But the younger man clung to his opinion; and in order to verify it, he
set himself to work repairing the little craft. You would have supposed
his daily bread depended upon her being made seaworthy by the way he
labored. She was made over from stem to stern: a new mast, a new sail;
and, finally, scarlet and green paint were brought over from the
village, and out she came as brilliant as a young paroquet. Then
Carrington took to sailing in her. Proud of his handy work, he sailed
up and down, over to the reef, and up the inlet, and even persuaded
Melvyna to go with him once, accompanied by the meek little Sister.

"Why shouldn't you both learn how to manage her?" he said in his
enthusiasm. "She's as easy to manage as a child----"

"And as easy to tip over," replied Melvyna, screwing up her lips
tightly and shaking her head. "You don't catch me out in her again,
sure as my name's Sawyer."

For Melvyna always remained a Sawyer in her own mind, in spite of her
spouse's name; she could not, indeed, be anything else--_noblesse
oblige_. But the Sister, obedient as usual, bent her eyes in turn
upon the ropes, the mast, the sail, and the helm, while Carrington,
waxing eloquent over his favorite science, delivered a lecture upon
their uses and made her experiment a little to see if she comprehended.
He use