the decided
reply.

"An' ye ain't done nuthin' bad; nuthin' that yer ashamed of, Miss?"

"No, no," and the girl's face crimsoned. "I'm proud of what I have
done," and she lifted her head haughtily, while her eyes flashed. "Any
girl with the least self-respect would do the same, so there."

"That's all right, Miss, that's all right," Samuel hurriedly assured
her. "I wasn't castin' any reflection upon yer character. I was only
wonderin', that's all. Ye see, Flo's about your age, from what I
judge, an' I wouldn't like her to be actin' this way."

"I know you wouldn't. But my case is different. Oh, I wish I could
tell you all, but I can't. You will trust me, anyway, won't you, and
let me stay here for a while?"

The captain sighed and looked helplessly around.

"Well, I'll be jiggered!" he growled. "This is sartinly some fix an' I
don't know what to do. The accommodation isn't much here fer the likes
of you, though it ain't too bad fer me an' Eb. If you occupy this
cabin, we'll have to camp out on deck, an' I know what Eb'll say about
that. He's more'n fond of sleep, that boy is, the greatest I ever saw.
Why he'd sooner sleep than eat any day, an' he likes a good soft bed at
that. I had to buy a special spring an' mattress before I could git
him to come with me this year. He doesn't take much to boatin', an' I
have to make things as smooth as possible."

"But can't you put his cot on deck?" the girl suggested. "I am very
sorry that I am giving you so much trouble, but I shall pay you well.
Money is no object if you will only help me out of my trouble. I am
sure you will never regret it."

"I hope not, Miss, fer I don't want to git into any fix. It wouldn't
look very nice if the papers got hold of this affair. Jist imagine a
big write-up about Capt. Sam'l Tobin keepin' a fine lookin' runaway gal
on the 'Eb an' Flo.' Why, I'd never be able to hold up me head agin,
an' I guess it 'ud about break Martha's heart, to say nuthin' about
Flo. They're mighty pertic'ler about sich things, they surely are."

"This must never get into the papers," the girl declared, "for you must
promise that you will keep it a dead secret, and not tell anyone, not
even your own family."

"I don't see how I kin do that, Miss. I guess ye don't know Martha as
well as I do. If ye did, ye wouldn't talk about keepin' this racket a
secret from me family. An' besides, thar's Eben, who'll be here in a
jiffy now. How am I to e