_that_ fellow?"

"Well, I ain't sartin that I can stop her."

"My God, man! Do you realize--and _she_--your niece--why--"

"There! there! Jim. I realize it all, I cal'late. It's my business to
realize it."

"And it isn't mine. No, of course it isn't; you're right there."

He turned and strode toward the foot of the stairs.

"Hold on!" commanded the captain. "Hold on, Jim! Don't you go off ha'f
cocked. When I said 'twas my business to realize this thing, I meant
just that and nothin' more. I wa'n't hintin', and you ought to know it.
You do know it, don't you?"

The young man paused. "Yes," he answered, after an instant's struggle
with his feelings; "yes, I do. I beg your pardon, Captain."

"All right. And here's somethin' else; I just told you I wasn't sartin I
could stop the marriage. That's the truth. But I don't recollect sayin'
I'd actually hauled down the colors, not yet. Good night."

"Good night, Captain. I shouldn't have misunderstood you, of course.
But, as you know, I respected and admired your niece. And this thing
has--has--"

"Sort of knocked you on your beam ends, I understand. Well, Jim," with a
sigh, "I ain't exactly on an even keel myself."

They separated, Pearson going to his room. As Captain Elisha was passing
through the hall on the second floor, he heard someone calling him by
name. Turning, he saw his landlady's head, bristling with curl papers,
protruding from behind the door at the other end of the passage.

"Captain Warren," she asked, "is that you?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied the captain, turning back.

"Well, I've got a message for you. A Mr. Sylvester has 'phoned you
twice this evening. He wishes to see you at his office at the earliest
possible moment. He says it is _very_ important."

CHAPTER XVII

Nine o'clock is an early hour for a New York lawyer of prominence to be
at his place of business. Yet, when Captain Elisha asked the office boy
of Sylvester, Kuhn and Graves if the senior partner was in, he received
an affirmative answer.

"Yes, sir," said Tim, respectfully. His manner toward the captain had
changed surprisingly since the latter's first call. "Yes, sir; Mr.
Sylvester's in. He expects you. I'll tell him you're here. Sit down and
wait, please."

Captain Elisha sat down, but he did not have to wait long. The boy
returned at once and ushered him into the private office. Sylvester
welcomed him gravely.

"You got my message, then," he said. "I spent hours la