!" said the unconscious woman, resuming her
knitting, while her husband waited in vain for the captain to enter.

He waited some time, and then, half dead with excitement, sat down, and
with shaking fingers lit his pipe. As he looked up the stalwart figure
of the captain passed the window. During the next twenty minutes it
passed seven times, and Pepper, coming to the not unnatural conclusion
that his friend intended to pass the afternoon in the same unprofitable
fashion, resolved to force his hand.

"Must be a tramp," he said aloud.

"Who?" inquired his wife. "Man keeps looking in at the window," said
Pepper desperately. "Keeps looking in till he meets my eye, then he
disappears. Looks like an old sea-captain, something."

"Old sea-captain?" said his wife, putting down her work and turning
round. There was a strange hesitating note in her voice. She looked
at the window, and at the same instant the head of the captain again
appeared above the geraniums, and, meeting her gaze, hastily vanished.
Martha Pepper sat still for a moment, and then, rising in a slow, dazed
fashion, crossed to the door and opened it. Mermaid Passage was empty!

"See anybody?" quavered Pepper.

His wife shook her head, but in a strangely quiet fashion, and, sitting
down, took up her knitting again.

For some time the click of the needles and the tick of the clock were
the only sounds audible, and the ex-pilot had just arrived at the
conclusion that his friend had abandoned him to his fate, when there
came a low tapping at the door.

"Come in!" cried Pepper, starting.

The door opened slowly, and the tall figure of Captain Crippen entered
and stood there eyeing them nervously. A neat little speech he had
prepared failed him at the supreme moment. He leaned against the wall,
and in a clumsy, shamefaced fashion lowered his gaze, and stammered out
the one word--"Martha!"

At that word Mrs. Pepper rose and stood with parted lips, eyeing him
wildly.

"Jem!" she gasped, "Jem!"

"Martha!" croaked the captain again.

With a choking cry Mrs. Pepper ran towards him, and, to the huge
gratification of her lawful spouse, flung her arms about his neck and
kissed him violently.

"Jem," she cried breathlessly, "is it really you? I can hardly believe
it. Where have you been all this long time? Where have you been?"

"Lots of places," said the captain, who was not prepared to answer a
question like that offhand; "but wherever I've been"--he held