lub for lunch.

"Well, what do you think of the old gent?" asked Frank, as he sat down.

"I like him," was the answer; "he talks to the purpose, though, and I
fancy his rapid-fire questions were for an object."

"You may be sure they were," replied Frank, "and, what is more, I saw by
his expression that you had made a good impression. Do you know what I
did the other day? I told him all about our escapade with the two
fairies, and repeated all I could recall of the sermon you preached
about it."

Albert looked astonished.

"I am sorry you did that," he said; "he must have thought me very weak
not to have refused in the first place. What did he say?"

"Oh, not much," replied Frank; "he laughed, and said he guessed the
closer I stuck to you, the better I would behave myself."

"Do you make a practice of confessing all your larks to your father?"
observed Albert.

"Oh, I don't conceal much," answered Frank laughingly; "he and I are the
best of friends, and he is so good to me I haven't the heart to deceive
him. I had an object in telling him of our racket, however;" and then
after a pause, "I wish you were to be at liberty this afternoon, Bert; I
am going to take the 'Gypsy' round to Beverly to her winter quarters and
I'd like your company."

"Well, I can go if I've a mind to," answered Albert; "Frye said I might
take a day off if I wished."

Frank looked astonished. "Isn't he in danger of heart-failure?" he said;
"the old buzzard must be getting stuck on you, I should say."

When the two had boarded the yacht, and while the engineer was getting
up steam, Frank showed his guest all over that craft.

"I am surprised at the size of your boat," said Albert; "why, she is
large enough for an ocean voyage."

"We may take one in her some day," replied Frank; "stranger things have
happened. I believe she cost over eighty thousand dollars, but dad
bought her for less than half that at an assignee's sale."

When steam was up they took a run out around Minot's Light and across to
Cape Ann, and as the day was a delightful one, Albert enjoyed it
immensely.

"I can't imagine a more charming way of spending a summer than to have
such a craft as this and a well-chosen party of friends for company, and
go where you like. Why, it would seem like a dream of life in an
enchanted world to me."

It was late in the afternoon when they ran in past Baker's Island, and
at Beverly they went ashore, and leaving the crew to moor th