leaning a little toward
him, would have put a hand on his knee, but the knee was jerked out of
the way.

"There, that's over, Al," went on Captain Zelotes. "You know the worst
now and you can say, 'What of it?' I mean just that: What of it? Bein'
left without a cent, but with your health and a fair chance to make
good--that, at seventeen or eighteen ain't a bad lookout, by any manner
of means. It's the outlook _I_ had at fifteen--exceptin' the chance--and
I ain't asked many favors of anybody since. At your age, or a month or
two older, do you know where I was? I was first mate of a three-masted
schooner. At twenty I was skipper; and at twenty-five, by the Almighty,
I owned a share in her. Al, all you need now is a chance to go to work.
And I'm goin' to give you that chance."

Albert gasped. "Do you mean--do you mean I've got to be a--a sailor?" he
stammered.

Captain Zelotes put back his head and laughed, laughed aloud.

"A sailor!" he repeated. "Ho, ho! No wonder you looked scared. No,
I wan't cal'latin' to make a sailor out of you, son. For one reason,
sailorin' ain't what it used to be; and, for another, I have my doubts
whether a young feller of your bringin' up would make much of a go
handlin' a bunch of fo'mast hands the first day out. No, I wasn't
figgerin' to send you to sea . . . What do you suppose I brought you
down to this place for this mornin'?"

And then Albert understood. He knew why he had been conducted through
the lumber yards, about the hardware shop, why his grandfather and Mr.
Price had taken so much pains to exhibit and explain. His heart sank.

"I brought you down here," continued the captain, "because it's a
first-rate idea to look a vessel over afore you ship aboard her. It's
kind of late to back out after you have shipped. Ever since I made up my
mind to send for you and have you live along with your grandmother and
me I've been plannin' what to do with you. I knew, if you was a decent,
ambitious young chap, you'd want to do somethin' towards makin' a start
in life. We can use--that is, this business can use that kind of a chap
right now. He could larn to keep books and know lumber and hardware
and how to sell and how to buy. He can larn the whole thing. There's
a chance here, son. It's your chance; I'm givin' it to you. How big a
chance it turns out to be 'll depend on you, yourself."

He stopped. Albert was silent. His thoughts were confused, but out of
their dismayed confusion two o