"I want you to call me that, Aunt Clemmie." He gave her a hurried kiss,
and started toward his room. At the corner of the upset table he paused.
"If I didn't have to preach this morning I'd stay home, too."

"You mean you'd go walking down 'long the beach," corrected the
Captain.

Miss Pipkin looked oddly at her lover. "Be they engaged?"

"They was, but I guess they ain't."

"What do you mean?"

"Jim came nigh sp'iling things last night. Mack said they'd call it all
off till he found out more about his people. He was 'feared from what
Jim had said to him that he had no right to love Beth. I cal'late he see
that it was right enough to go ahead afore I got through with him this
morning."

"Josiah, he'll marry us, won't he?"

"You just bet he will!"

"Ain't it funny he never said nothing about being glad we was engaged?"

"We ain't told him."

"But he saw."

"Script're says something about having eyes and seeing not, and having
ears and hearing not. Mack's as nigh to obeying the sayings of Script're
as any one I know."

"That's so, Josiah. He is so good without trying to be," declared Miss
Pipkin. She lifted a hand to each of the old man's shoulders, and he put
his arms about her. "Do you believe in the care of Providence, Josiah,
and in the guiding hand of God?"

The Captain tightened his embrace, and one of the bony hands of the
housekeeper slipped into the knotty fingers about her waist.

"I'm larning to, Clemmie, but I'm going to need a heap of help. I ain't
used to these religious channels, and I cal'late you'll have to take
the helm right often."

They had not heard the sound of footsteps in the outer room. It was Mrs.
Beaver's voice that caused them to start.

"I thought I'd come over to borrow some----"

Mrs. Beaver stopped short on the threshold, looked at the Captain and
the housekeeper, and began to retreat. The practical Miss Pipkin was the
first to recover speech.

"Come on right in, Mrs. Beaver. That's a silly thing for me to say,
seeing you're already in. But what is it you'd like to borrow?"

Mrs. Beaver continued to retreat and stare. She saw the puddle of coffee
on the floor. She eyed with interest the upset table. She saw that the
Captain was undetermined what he ought to do with his hands. She watched
him as he stumbled backward into the cupboard. Her face was a study.

"What was it you was going to ask for, Eadie?" asked the seaman, trying
to appear unconcerned in his decided