ng-place by the way on that day of her
pilgrimage.

* * * * *

Now, reader, we feel bound to tell you in confidence that there are
few things more difficult than drawing a story to a close! Our tale
is done, for Ruby is married to Minnie, and the Bell Rock Lighthouse
is finished, and most of those who built it are scattered beyond the
possibility of reunion. Yet we are loath to shake hands with them and
to bid you farewell.

Nevertheless, so it must be, for if we were to continue the narrative
of the after-careers of our friends of the Bell Rock, the books that
should be written would certainly suffice to build a new lighthouse.

But we cannot make our bow without a parting word or two.

Ruby and Minnie, as we have said, were married. They lived in the
cottage with their mother, and managed to make it sufficiently large
to hold them all by banishing the captain into the scullery.

Do not suppose that this was done heartlessly, and without the
captain's consent. By no means. That worthy son of Neptune assisted
at his own banishment. In fact, he was himself the chief cause of it,
for when a consultation was held after the honeymoon, as to "what was
to be done now", he waved his hand, commanded silence, and delivered
himself as follows:--

"Now, shipmates all, give ear to me, an' don't ventur' to interrupt.
It's nat'ral an' proper, Ruby, that you an' Minnie and your mother
should wish to live together; as the old song says, 'Birds of a
feather flock together', an' the old song's right; and as the thing
ought to be, an' you all want it to be, so it _shall_ be. There's
only one little difficulty in the way, which is, that the ship's too
small to hold us, by reason of the after-cabin bein' occupied by an
old seaman of the name of Ogilvy. Now, then, not bein' pigs, the
question is, what's to be done? I will answer that question: the
seaman of the name of Ogilvy shall change his quarters."

Observing at this point that both Ruby and his bride opened their
mouths to speak, the captain held up a threatening finger, and
sternly said, "Silence!" Then he proceeded--

"I speak authoritatively on this point, havin' conversed with the
seaman Ogilvy, and diskivered his sentiments. That seaman intends to
resign the cabin to the young couple, and to hoist his flag for the
futur' in the fogs'l."

He pointed, in explanation, to the scullery; a small, dirty-looking
apartment off the kitchen, which was