st bewitching smile and
nodded perkily. Matt held out his great hand, not realizing that a
bow and a conventional "Delighted, I'm sure!" was the correct thing
in Florry's set. Florry was about to accept his great paw when Cappy
yelled:

"Don't take it, Florry! He'll squeeze your hand to jelly."

"I won't," Matt declared, embarrassed. "I might press it a little--"

"I know. You pressed mine a little, and if I live to be a thousand years
old I'll never shake hands with you again."

"I'll give her my finger then," Matt declared, and forthwith held out
his index finger, which Florry shook gravely.

"Well, well, boy; sit down, sit down," Cappy commanded briskly, "while
I tell you the plans I have for your future. I ought to have fired you
long ago--"

"I shall always be happy to testify that you tried hard enough," Matt
interrupted, and Florry's silvery laugh filled the room. Cappy winced,
but had to join with her in the laugh on himself.

"For the sake of your Uncle Ethan, and the fact that you're one of our
own boys, Matt," he continued, "I'll retain you if you behave yourself.
As I believe I wired you, I'm going to put you in steam."

"You didn't consult me about it, sir; but, to please you, I'll tackle
steam. I'm very grateful for your interest in me, Mr. Ricks."

"Huh! That's not true, Matt. You're not grateful; and if you are you
have no business to be. I paid you a hundred and twenty-five dollars a
month to skipper the Retriever; you earned every cent of it and I made
you fight for the job; so, no thanks to me. And I know for a fact that
you and Mr. Murphy cursed me up hill and down dale--"

"Oh, Captain Peasley!" Miss Ricks interrupted. "Did you curse my
father?"

"She's trying to fluster me," Matt thought. "She thinks I'm a farmer."
Aloud he said: "Well, you see, Miss Ricks, I had to work for him.
However, Mr. Murphy and I have forgiven him. We're both willing to let
bygones be bygones."

"Young scoundrel!" piped Cappy, delighted beyond measure, for he was
used to unimaginative, rather dull skippers, who revered their berths
and stood before him, hat in hand, plainly uncomfortable in the presence
of the creator of the payroll. "Dashed young scoundrel! Well, we had
some fun anyhow, didn't we, Matt? And, as the young fellows say, I got
your Capricorn. Very well, then. We'll make a new start, Matthew; and
if you pay attention to business it's barely possible you may amount to
something yet.

"I'm going