f the novel. The former, while professing to be
harassed by business cares, sacrificed them to the extent of devoting at
least a part of each twenty-four hours to the young lady's society.
She was rarely allowed to be alone with her uncle, a circumstance which
troubled her much less than it did him. He missed the evenings which he
had enjoyed so much, and the next consultation over the adventures
of Pearson's "Uncle Jim" and his "Mary" seemed flat and uninteresting
without criticism and advice.

The author himself noticed the difference.

"Rot!" he exclaimed, throwing the manuscript aside in disgust. "It's
rot, isn't it! If I can't turn out better stuff than that, I'd better
quit. And I thought it was pretty decent, too, until to-night."

Captain Elisha shook his head. "It don't seem quite so shipshape,
somehow," he admitted, "but I guess likely it's 'cause my head's full
of other things just now. I'm puzzled 'most to death to know what to get
for Caroline's birthday. I want to get her somethin' she'll like, and
she's got pretty nigh everything under the sun. Say, Jim, you've been
workin' too hard, yourself. Why don't you take to-morrow off and cruise
around the stores helpin' me pick out a present. Come ahead--do!"

They spent the next afternoon in that "cruise," visiting department
stores, jewelers, and art shops innumerable. Captain Elisha was hard to
please, and his comments characteristic.

"I guess you're right, Jim," he said, "there's no use lookin' at
pictures. Let alone that the walls are so covered with 'em now a fly
can't scarcely light without steppin' on some kind of scenery--let
alone that, my judgment on pictures ain't any good. I cal'late that's
considered pretty fine, ain't it?" pointing to a painting in the gallery
where they then were.

"Yes," replied the dealer, much amused. "That is a good specimen of the
modern impressionist school."

"Humph! Cookin' school, I shouldn't wonder. I'd call it a portrait of a
plate of scrambled eggs, if 'twa'n't for that green thing that's either
a cow or a church in the offin'. Out of soundin's again, I am! But I
knew she liked pictures, and so.... However, let's set sail for a
jewelry store."

The sixth shop of this variety which they visited happened to be one of
the largest and most fashionable in the city. Here the captain's fancy
was taken by a gold chain for the neck, set with tiny emeralds.

"That's pretty--sort of--ain't it, Jim?" he asked.

"Yes,"