or Mrs. North's either."

"Oh yes, it has! Her daughter said that she had had to speak to her--"

Captain Price, dumfounded, forgot his fear and burst out: "You're a pack
of fools, the whole caboodle! I swear I--"

"Oh, don't blaspheme!" said Gussie, faintly, and staggered a little, so
that all the Captain's terror returned. _If she fainted!_

"Hi, there, Cyrus! Come aft, will you? Gussie's getting white around the
gills--Cyrus!"

Cyrus came, running, and between them they got the swooning Gussie to
her room; Afterwards, when Cyrus tiptoed down-stairs, he found the
Captain at the cabin door. The old man beckoned mysteriously.

"Cy, my boy, come in here"--he hunted about in his pocket for the key of
the cupboard--"Cyrus, I'll tell you what happened; that female across
the street came in, and told poor Gussie some cock-and-bull story about
her mother and me!" The Captain chuckled, and picked up his harmonicon.
"It scared the life out of Gussie," he said; then, with sudden angry
gravity,--"these people that poke their noses into other's people's
business ought to be thrashed. Well, I'm going over to see Mrs. North."
And off he stumped, leaving Cyrus staring after him, open-mouthed.

* * * * *

If Mary North had been at home, she would have met him with all the
agonized courage of shyness and a good conscience. But she had fled out
of the house, and down along the River Road, to be alone and regain her
self-control.

The Captain, however, was not seeking Miss North. He opened the front
door, and advancing to the foot of the stairs, called up: "Ahoy, there!
Mrs. North!"

Mrs. North came trotting out to answer the summons. "Why, Alfred!" she
exclaimed, looking over the banisters, "when did you come in? I didn't
hear the bell ring. I'll come right down."

"It didn't ring; I walked in," said the Captain. And Mrs. North came
down-stairs, perhaps a little stiffly, but as pretty an old lady as you
ever saw. Her white curls lay against faintly pink cheeks, and her lace
cap had a pink bow on it. But she looked anxious and uncomfortable.

("Oh," she was saying to herself, "I do hope Mary's out!)--Well,
Alfred?" she said; but her voice was frightened.

The Captain stumped along in front of her into the parlor, and motioned
her to a seat. "Mrs. North," he said, his face red, his eye hard, "some
jack-donkeys have been poking their noses (of course they're females)
into our affairs; and--"