ad been told that
Captain Sands had most decided opinions on dreams and other mysteries,
and could tell some stories which were considered incredible by even a
Deephaven audience, to whom the marvellous was of every-day occurrence.

"Then it has happened before?" asked Kate. "I wondered why you started
so suddenly to come in."

"Happened!" said the captain. "Bless ye, yes! I'll tell you my views
about these p'ints one o' those days. I've thought a good deal about
'em by spells. Not that I can explain 'em, nor anybody else, but it's no
use to laugh at 'em as some folks do. Cap'n Lant--you know Cap'n
Lant?--he and I have talked it over consider'ble, and he says to me,
'Everybody's got some story of the kind they will believe in spite of
everything, and yet they won't believe yourn.'"

The shower seemed to be over now, and we felt compelled to go home, as
the captain did not go on with his remarks. I hope he did not see
Danny's wink. Skipper Scudder, who was Danny's friend and partner, came
up just then and asked us if we knew what the sign was when the sun came
out through the rain. I said that I had always heard it would rain again
next day. "O no," said Skipper Scudder, "the Devil is whipping his
wife."

After dinner Kate and I went for a walk through some pine woods which
were beautiful after the rain; the mosses and lichens which had been
dried up were all freshened and blooming out in the dampness. The smell
of the wet pitch-pines was unusually sweet, and we wandered about for an
hour or two there, to find some ferns we wanted, and then walked over
toward East Parish, and home by the long beach late in the afternoon. We
came as far as the boat-landing, meaning to go home through the lane,
but to our delight we saw Captain Sands sitting alone on an old
overturned whaleboat, whittling busily at a piece of dried kelp. "Good
evenin'," said our friend, cheerfully. And we explained that we had
taken a long walk and thought we would rest awhile before we went home
to supper. Kate perched herself on the boat, and I sat down on a ship's
knee which lay on the pebbles.

"Didn't get any hurt from being out in the shower, I hope?"

"No, indeed," laughed Kate, "and we had such a good time. I hope you
won't mind taking us out again some time."

"Bless ye! no," said the captain. "My girl Lo'isa, she that's Mis
Winslow over to Riverport, used to go out with me a good deal, and it
seemed natural to have you aboard. I missed Lo