ghtly mistaken. Next time I'll offer the
paintin' feller the house and ask him what he considers a fair boot,
besides. Sam Cahoon's a better speculator than I thought he was. Hello,
Commodore! what's worryin' you now?"

Edwards appeared to announce that dinner was served. Caroline rose
and led the way to the dining room. Captain Elisha followed, looking
curiously about him as he did so. Stephen, who had been sulkily dressing
in his own room, entered immediately after.

The captain surveyed the dining room with interest. Like the others
of the suite, it was sumptuously and tastefully furnished. He took the
chair indicated by the solemn Edwards, and the meal began.

The butler's sense of humor was not acute, but it was with considerable
difficulty that he restrained his smiles during the next half hour. A
more appreciative observer would have noticed and enjoyed the subtler
points. Stephen's glare of disgust at his uncle when the latter tucked
his napkin in the opening of his waistcoat; Caroline's embarrassment
when the captain complimented the soup, declaring that it was almost
as good as one of Abbie's chowders; the visitor's obvious uneasiness at
being waited upon attentively, and the like. These Edwards missed, but
he could not help appreciating Captain Elisha's conversation.

Caroline said little during dinner. Her brother glowered at his plate
and was silent. But the captain talked and talked.

"Maybe you think I didn't have a time findin' your new lodgin's,"
he said. "I come over on the cars, somethin' I don't usually do when
there's anything afloat to carry me. But I had an errand or two to do
in Boston, so I stopped over night at the hotel there and got the nine
o'clock train. I landed here in New York all shipshape and on time, and
started in to hunt you up."

"How did you get our address?" asked his niece. "Mr. Graves couldn't
have given it to you, for we only decided on this apartment a few days
ago."

"Ho! ho!" chuckled Captain Elisha, rolling in his chair, like a ship in
a cross sea. "Ho! ho! You remind me of Abbie, Caroline. That's what she
said. 'I never heard of such a crazy cruise,' she says. 'Startin' off
to visit folks when you haven't the least idea where they live!' 'Oh,
yes, I have,' I says, 'I know where they live; they live in New York.'
Well, you ought to have seen her face. Abbie's a good woman--none
better--but she generally don't notice a joke until she trips over it.
I get consider'bl