f a woman to want Maurice--Maurice
with nothing at all--before Withrow with all he's got and all he can
get her or give her--and she's clever enough to come pretty near
getting what she wants. And now, Miss Foster, suppose you think it
over. I'm going to hunt up Maurice, though I'm not too sure we'll find
him in a hurry. Good-by."

He swept his sou'wester wide to her and went out the door. I said
good-by without looking at her. I was too ashamed--and went after
Clancy. But I think she was crying to herself as I went out.

XXXVI

MAURICE BLAKE IS RECALLED

The morning after the race I was eating breakfast at home and I could
not remember when I enjoyed a meal like that one. I had had a fine
long sleep and the sleep that comes to a man after he's been through a
long and exciting experience does make him feel like a world-beater. I
felt that I could go out and about leap the length of a seine-boat or
rip up a plank sidewalk. It was worth while to be alive, and
everything tasted so good.

I had put away six fried eggs and about fourteen of those little
slices of bacon before I even thought of slacking up (with my mother
piling them up as fast as I lifted them off)--and maybe I wouldn't
have slacked then only my cousin Nell came skipping in.

She kissed my mother half a dozen times, and danced around the room.
"Four vessels off the Johnnie Duncan's model have already been
ordered. Four, auntie--four. There will be a fleet of them yet, you'll
see. And how are you, Joe?"

"Fine," I said, and kept on eating.

Nell didn't like my not noticing how glad she was feeling, I suppose,
for all at once, as I was about to sugar another cup of coffee, she
ran her hands through my hair and yanked till I couldn't pretend any
longer.

"There, now, with your mind off your stomach, perhaps you'll look up
and converse when a lady deigns to notice you. How much money did Mr.
Withrow lose on the race?"

"I don't know, but it was a good pile; I know that."

"And how much did Mr. Duncan win?"

"I don't know that, either; but I hope it was a good roll, for he won
about all Withrow lost."

"M-m--but aren't you in love with your old employer? But let's not
mind common money matters. What do you think of the Johnnie Duncan for
a vessel?"

"She's a dog--a dog."

"Isn't she! And the fastest, able-est and the handsomest vessel that
ever sailed past Eastern Point, isn't she?"

"That's what she is."

"And who designed her?"