er saw. But--but now I can't
help liking them and--and--Say, Grandfather, they must think a lot of
your--of our family."

"Cal'late they do, son. . . . Well, boy, we've had our sermon, you and
me, what shall we do? Willin' to sign for the five years trial cruise if
I will, are you?"

Albert couldn't help smiling. "It was three years Rachel proposed, not
five," he said.

"Was, eh? Suppose we split the difference and make it four? Willin' to
try that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Agreement bein' that you shall stick close to Z. Snow and Co. durin'
work hours and write as much poetry as you darned please other times,
neither side to interfere with those arrangements? That right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good! Shall we shake hands on it?"

They shook, solemnly. Captain Lote was the first to speak after
ratification of the contract.

"There, now I cal'late I'll go aloft and turn in," he observed. Then he
added, with a little hesitation, "Say, Al, maybe we'd better not trouble
your grandma about all this fool business--the row this afternoon
and all. 'Twould only worry her and--" he paused, looked embarrassed,
cleared his throat, and said, "to tell you the truth, I'm kind of
ashamed of my part---er--er--that is, some of it."

His grandson was very much astonished. It was not often that Captain
Zelotes Snow admitted having been in the wrong. He blurted out the
question he had been dying to ask.

"Grandfather," he queried, "had you--did you really mean what you
said about starting to come to my room and--and propose this scheme of
ours--I mean of Rachel's and Labe's--to me?"

"Eh? . . . Ye-es--yes. I was on my way up there when I met you just
now."

"Well, Grandfather, I--I--"

"That's all right, boy, that's all right. Don't let's talk any more
about it."

"We won't. And--and--But, Grandfather, I just want you to know that I
guess I understand things a little better than I did, and--and when my
father--"

The captain's heavy hand descended upon his shoulder.

"Heave short, Al!" he commanded. "I've been doin' consider'ble thinkin'
since Labe finished his--er--discourse and pronounced the benediction,
and I've come to a pretty definite conclusion on one matter. I've
concluded that you and I had better cut out all the bygones from this
new arrangement of ours. We won't have fathers or--or--elopements--or
past-and-done-with disapp'intments in it. This new deal--this four year
trial v'yage of ours--will be just for Albert Speranz