es. If he takes me as he finds me I'll do the same by him--_an'
he knows I'll count the sacks_. Cap'n Cai here'll tell you I'd never
have put such a trick on Philp if he hadn' shown himself so suspicious.
I hate a suspicious man. . . . An' that's one reason, Cap'n, why I want
you to decide on takin' my place on the School Board. You see, I can
choose my own time for resignin'; the Board itself fills up any vacancy
that occurs between Elections: an' I can work the Board for you before
Philp or any one else gets wind of it. That is, if I have your
consent?"

"It's uncommonly good of you," said Cai. "I'll think it over, an' take
advice, maybe."

"You know what advice your friend'll give you, anyway. For, I don't
mind tellin' you, when he talked about your enterin' public life I
dropped a hint to him."

"'Bias Hunken isn' the only friend I have in the world," answered Cai,
with a sudden flush.

"I hope not," said Mr Rogers. "There's me, f'r instance: an' you've
heard my opinion. That ought to be good enough for him--eh, child?"
he turned to Fancy, who had been watching Cai's face with interest.

"If the Captain wants feminine advice," said Fancy, in a mocking
grown-up tone, "we all love public men. It's our well-known weakness."

Cai wished them good-day, and took his leave in some confusion.

That mischievous child had divined his intent, almost as soon as he
himself had divined it. Nay, now--or, to be accurate, three minutes
later--it is odds that she knew it more surely than he: for he walked
towards the Railway Station--that is, in the direction of Rilla Farm--
telling himself at first that a stroll was, anyhow, a good recipe for
clearing the brain; that Rogers's offer called on him to make, at short
notice, an important decision.

He paused twice or thrice on his way, to commune with himself: the first
time by the Passage Slip, where 'Bias and he had halted to view the
traffic by the jetties. He conned it now again, but with unreceptive
eyes. . . . "Rogers talks to me about takin' advice," soliloquised Cai.
"It seems to me this is just one of those steps on which a man must make
up his own mind. . . ."

He paused again beneath the shadow of the gasometer, possibly through
association of ideas, because it suggested thoughts of 'Bias who had so
much admired it--"'Bias means well, o' course. But I don't go about,
for my part, schemin' how 'Bias is to amuse his latter days. Besides,
'Bias may be m