business of
the west coast, and finally it was agreed to submit the whole question
to arbitration. It has never yet been arbitrated, though that was some
years ago. In the meantime an arrangement was made by which all
lobster factories in existence on July 1, 1889, were allowed to
continue their business, but no others might be established."

"Was your factory one of those then in existence?" asked Cabot.

"It was completed, and ready to begin work a whole month before that
date; but the captain of a French frigate told my father that if he
canned a single lobster his factory would be destroyed. Father
appealed to the commander of a British warship for protection; but was
informed that none could be given, and that if he persisted in the
attempt to operate his factory his own countrymen would be compelled to
aid the French in its destruction. On that, father went to law, but it
was not until the season was ended that the British captain was found
to have had no authority for his action. So father sued him for
damages, and obtained judgment for five thousand dollars. He never got
the money, though, and by the time the next season came round the law
regarding factories in existence on the first of the previous July was
in force. Then the question came up, whether or no our factory had
been in existence at that time. The French claim that it was not,
because no work had been done in it, while we claim that, but for
illegal interference, work would have been carried on for a full month
before the fixed date."

"How was the question settled?" asked Cabot.

"It was not settled until a few days ago, when a final decision was
rendered against us, and now the property is liable to be destroyed at
any minute. Father fought the case until it worried him to death, and
mother has been fighting it ever since. All our property, except the
factory itself, this schooner, and a few hundred acres of worthless
land, has gone to the lawyers. While they have fought over the case, I
have made a sort of a living for the family by running the factory at
odd times, when there was no warship at hand to prevent. This season
promises to be one of the best for lobsters ever known, and we had so
nearly exhausted our supply of cans that I went to St. Johns for more.
While there I got private information that the suit had gone against
us, and that the commander of the warship 'Comattus,' then in port, had
received orders to destroy our