reaking rollers, the use of a
"sea-anchor" over the side to "hold her to it," whether or not a man
was justified in abandoning his ship under certain given circumstances,
these were debated pro and con. Always Pearson's "Uncle Jim" was held
up as the final authority, the paragon of sea captains, by the visitor,
and, while his host pretended to agree, with modest reservations, in
this estimate of his relative, he was more and more certain that
his hero was bound to become a youthful edition of Elisha Warren
himself--and he thanked the fates which had brought this fine, able,
old-school mariner to his door.

At length, Captain Elisha, having worked "Uncle Jim" into a safe harbor
after a hundred mile cruise under jury jig, with all hands watch and
watch at the pumps, leaned forward in triumph to refill his pipe. Having
done so, his eyes remained fixed upon a photograph standing, partially
hidden by a leather collar box, upon the dresser. He looked at it
intently, then rose and took it in his hand.

"Well, I swan!" he exclaimed. "Either what my head's been the fullest
of lately has struck to my eyesight, or else--why, say, Jim, that's
Caroline, ain't it?"

Pearson colored and seemed embarrassed. "Yes," he answered, "that is
Miss Warren."

"Humph! Good likeness, too! But what kind of rig has she got on? I've
seen her wear a good many dresses--seems to have a different one for
every day, pretty nigh--but I never saw her in anything like that.
Looks sort of outlandish; like one of them foreign girls at Geneva--or
Leghorn, say."

"Yes. That is an Italian peasant costume. Miss Warren wore it at a fancy
dress ball a year ago."

"Want to know! I-talian peasant, hey! Fifth Avenue peasant with diamonds
in her hair. Becomin' to her, ain't it."

"I thought so."

"Yup. She looks pretty _enough_! But she don't need diamonds nor
hand-organ clothes to make her pretty."

Then, looking up from the photograph, he asked, "Give you this picture,
did she?"

His friend's embarrassment increased. "No," he answered shortly. Then,
after an instant's hesitation. "That ball was given by the Astorbilts
and was one of the most swagger affairs of the season. The _Planet_--the
paper with which I was connected--issues a Sunday supplement of
half-tone reproductions of photographs. One page was given up to
pictures of the ball and the costumes worn there."

"I see. Astonishin' how folks do like to get their faces into print.
I used to know a