iscomfort. But this attempt at gayety of dress
was of no avail; one felt at once that it was a surface thing and had
no connection with Elmer's soul; it stood out in front of the
background of his sorrowful personality, accentuating the gloom, as a
blossom may grow upon a bleak rock. As Elmer carefully dropped ice,
piece by piece, into the oblong box, progressing slowly from hole to
hole, Cleggett thought he had never seen a more depressed young man.

Captain Abernethy approached Cleggett. There was hesitation in the
brown old man's feet, there was doubt upon his wrinkled brow, but there
was the consciousness of duty in the poise of his shoulders, there was
determination in his eyes.

The blonde lady laughed softly as the sailing-master of the Jasper B.
saluted the owner of the vessel.

"He is going to tell you," she said to Cleggett, including the Captain
himself in her flashing look and her remark, "he is going to tell you
that you really should get rid of me and my boxes at once--I can see it
in his face!"

Captain Abernethy stopped short at this, and stared. It was precisely
what he HAD planned to say after drawing Cleggett discreetly aside.
But it is rather startling to have one's thoughts read in this manner.

He frowned at the lady. She smiled at him. The smile seemed to say to
the Cap'n: "You ridiculous old dear, you! You KNOW that's what you
were going to advise, so why deny it? I've found you out, but we both
might just as well be good-humored about it, mightn't we?"

"Ma'am," said the Cap'n, evidently struggling between a suddenly born
desire to quit frowning and a sense that he had a perfect right to
frown as much as he wished, "Ma'am, if you was to ask me, I'd say
ridin' on steamships and ridin' on sailin' vessels is two different
matters entirely."

"Cap'n Abernethy," said Cleggett, attempting to indicate that his
sailing master's advice was not absolutely required, "if you have
something to say to me, perhaps later will do just as well."

"As fur as the Jasper B. is concerned," said the Cap'n, ignoring
Cleggett's remark, and still addressing the lady, "I dunno as you could
call her EITHER a sailin' vessel, OR a steamship, as at present
constituted."

"You want to get me off your boat at once," said the lady. "You know
you do." And her manner added: "CAN'T you act like a good-natured old
dear? You really are one, you know!"

The Cap'n became embarrassed. He began to fuss with his