sed him. He
wondered why he had allowed her to ride rough-shod over him for so
long. Perhaps a little more such treatment might break her spell.

"Martha," he continued, "if ever ye marry agin after I'm dead, I'll
come back to ye from the spirit world. I'll be so anxious to see how
ye git along with yer new husband that nuthin' could keep me from
comin'."

He ceased and glanced at his wife to note the effect of this startling
announcement. But no change in her attitude could he observe.

"I'll come, Martha," he went on, "when yer least expectin' me, mebbe in
the night, an' when ye open yer eyes ye'll see me standin' before ye.
If ye never had a creepy feelin' before, ye'll have one then. Yer
hair'll stand right on end, an' yer blood'll about freeze in yer veins.
An' I'll step right up to the side of yer bed, an' look straight into
yer eyes, an' hold out me hands----"

The captain never finished his sentence, for with a bound Martha had
left him. She ran as he had never seen her run before, and by the time
he reached the house she was in the kitchen, and did not even look at
him as he entered. The table was set for supper, but Flo was nowhere
to be seen. Mrs. Tobin busied herself about the stove, while the
captain washed himself at the sink. He was hungry, for not even his
wife's anger could take away his hearty appetite. Some cold lamb on
the table appealed to him, and he was about to sit down and help
himself when the kitchen door was suddenly opened and Flo burst into
the room. She was greatly excited, and was about to announce some
startling bit of news when her mother checked her. She thrust her hand
into a pocket in her dress, and held up the side-comb for inspection.
The captain stood transfixed, staring upon the innocent cause of his
wife's wrath.

"Look at that," Mrs. Tobin, cried, holding it out before her daughter.
"Is it any wonder that I'm heart-broken?"

The girl's eyes grew wide with amazement as she glanced first at the
comb, and then at her father and mother. She surmised at once that
there was trouble between them, but what the comb had to do with it she
could not understand.

"Why, mother," Flo at last found voice to say, "I don't see anything
wrong about that comb. It's mine, I must have left it in the cabin the
last time I came up the river. I knew I had lost it, but could not
tell where."

With a whoop of joy the captain sprang forward, and caught his daughter
in his arms.