t's goin' to be, we ought
to face the situation moderately square, anyhow. First comes marriage.
Well, that's easy; any fool can get married, lots of 'em do. But then,
as I said, comes supportin' yourself and wife--bills, bills, and more
bills. You'll say that you and she will economize and fight it out
together. Fine, first-rate, but later on there may be more of you, a
child, children perhaps--"

"Grandfather!"

"It's possible, son. Such things do happen, and they cost money. More
mouths to feed. Now I take it for granted that you aren't marryin' the
Fosdick girl for her money--"

The interruption was prompt and made with fiery indignation.

"I never thought of her money," declared Albert. "I don't even know that
she has any. If she has, I don't want it. I wouldn't take it. She is all
I want."

Captain Zelotes' lip twitched.

"Judgin' from the tone of her ma's last letter to me," he observed, "she
is all you would be liable to get. It don't read as if many--er--weddin'
presents from the bride's folks would come along with her. But, there,
there, Al don't get mad. I know this is a long ways from bein' a joke to
you and, in a way, it's no joke for me. Course I had realized that some
day you'd be figgerin', maybe, on gettin' married, but I did hope the
figgerin' wouldn't begin for some years yet. And when you did, I rather
hoped--well, I--I hoped. . . . However, we won't stop to bother with
that now. Let's stick to this letter of Mrs. Fosdick's here. I must
answer that, I suppose, whether I want to or not, to-day. Well, Al,
you tell me, I understand that there has been nothin' underhand in your
acquaintance with her daughter. Other than keepin' the engagement a
secret, that is?"

"Yes, I do."

"And you mean to stick by your guns and. . . . Well, what is it? Come
in!"

There had been a knock upon the office door. In answer to his employer's
summons, Mr. Keeler appeared. He held a card in his hand.

"Sorry to disturb you, Cap'n Lote," he said. "Yes, I be, yes, sir. But
I judged maybe 'twas somethin' important about the lumber for his
house and he seemed anxious to see you, so I took the risk and knocked.
Um-hm--yes, yes, yes."

Captain Zelotes looked at the card. Then he adjusted his spectacles and
looked again.

"Humph!" he grunted. "Humph! . . . We-ell, Labe, I guess likely you
might show him in here. Wait just a minute before you do it, though.
I'll open the door when I want him to come."

"All right,