was immediately surrounded by her own little coterie of young
people and was enjoying herself quietly when a newcomer, whose
appearance created some little surprise at the door, approached the
group of which the girl was the center.

"Why, here's Orion Latham!" exclaimed one girl. "I didn't know the
_Seamew_ was in."

"We just made it by the skin of our teeth," Orion said, making it a
point to shake hands with Sheila. "How are you, Miss Bostwick? I
never did see such a Jonah of an old tub as that dratted schooner! I
thought she never would get back this trip."

"I cal'late you wouldn't think she was Jonahed if the _Seamew_ was
yours, 'Rion," snickered Andrew Roby.

"I wouldn't even take her as a gift," snarled Orion.

"Guess you won't get her that way--if any," chuckled Joshua Jones.
"Tunis, he knows which side o' the bread his butter's on. He's doin'
well. We cal'late--pa and me--to have all our freight come down from
Boston on the _Seamew_."

Orion glowered at him.

"You'd better have a care, Josh," he growled. "That schooner is
hoodooed, as sure as sure! She'll stub her nose some night on
Lighthouse Point Reef, if she don't do worse. You can't scurcely
steer her proper."

"Nonsense, 'Rion!" spoke up Zebedee Pauling. "I'd like to sail on
her myself."

"Perhaps," Sheila interposed, rather flushed, and looking at Orion
with unmistakable displeasure, "Orion will give up his berth to you,
Zebedee. He seems so very sure that the schooner is unlucky. I came
down from Boston in her, and I saw nothing about her save to
admire."

"And if you found her all right, Miss Bostwick," struck in the
gallant Joshua, "she's good enough for me. Of course, I heard tell
some thought the _Seamew_ had a bad reputation--that she run under
a fishing boat once and was haunted. But I cal'late that's all
bosh."

"Yah!" growled Orion. "Have it your own way. But after the dratted
schooner is sunk and you lose a mess of freight, Josh Jones, I guess
you'll sing small."

"I've heard," said Andrew Roby gravely, "that it's mighty bad
manners to bite the hand that feeds you. You never was overpolite,
'Rion Latham."

"Not only that, but he's clean reckless with his own livelihood,"
added Zebedee Pauling.

CHAPTER XV

AN INVITATION ACCEPTED

It was a small incident, of course; scarcely to be noted at all when
it was over. Yet the impression left upon Sheila's mind was that
Orion Latham was deliberately endeavoring to injur