take the
horse and team out to the barn and unharness for me, will you?"

"Ye-es, yes, yes," replied Mr. Keeler. "Yes indeed, Cap'n. Take her
right along--right off. Yes indeedy. Git dap!"

He drove off toward the end of the yard, where a large building,
presumably a barn, loomed black against the dark sky. He sang as
he drove and the big man on the step looked after him and sniffed
suspiciously.

Meanwhile the boy had followed the little woman into the house through
a small front hall, from which a narrow flight of stairs shot aloft with
almost unbelievable steepness, and into a large room. Albert had a
swift impression of big windows full of plants, of pictures of ships and
schooners on the walls, of a table set for four.

"Take your things right off," cried his grandmother. "Here, I'll take
'em. There! now turn 'round and let me look at you. Don't move till I
get a good look."

He stood perfectly still while she inspected him from head to foot.

"You've got her mouth," she said slowly. "Yes, you've got her mouth. Her
hair and eyes were brown and yours are black, but--but I THINK you look
like her. Oh, I did so want you to! May I kiss you, Albert? I'm your
grandmother, you know."

With embarrassed shyness he leaned forward while she put her arms about
his neck and kissed him on the cheek. As he straightened again he
became aware that the big man had entered the room and was regarding him
intently beneath a pair of shaggy gray eyebrows. Mrs. Snow turned.

"Oh, Zelotes," she cried, "he's got Janie's mouth, don't you think so?
And he DOES look like her, doesn't he?"

Her husband shook his head. "Maybe so, Mother," he said, with a half
smile. "I ain't a great hand for locatin' who folks look like. How are
you, boy? Glad to see you. I'm your grandfather, you know."

They shook hands, while each inspected and made a mental estimate of the
other. Albert saw a square, bearded jaw, a firm mouth, gray eyes with
many wrinkles at the corners, and a shock of thick gray hair. The eyes
had a way of looking straight at you, through you, as if reading your
thoughts, divining your motives and making a general appraisal of you
and them.

Captain Zelotes Snow, for his part, saw a tall young fellow, slim and
straight, with black curly hair, large black eyes and regular features.
A good-looking boy, a handsome boy--almost too handsome, perhaps, or
with just a touch of the effeminate in the good looks. The captain's
glance too